A Horse Person’s Thankful Season

November 28, 2019
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Jolyn Young

Happy Thanksgiving week! This is our first year as homeowners and horse owners. My husband day works and gathers feral livestock for a living, and I hold down the 5-acre home fort with our three kids. As we wrap up this thankful month, I feel so blessed to have a lot that I’m thankful for. Here are a few things I am especially grateful for this holiday season.

Our hay stack
- We were fortunate to find affordable, locally grown hay this summer, and we stocked up during peak haying season. It’s so nice to look out the window and see a big supply standing by the horse pens, all tarped up and ready to withstand the elements.

Plus, the haystack makes a terrific background for family photos. Now, if only it helped the kids all look cute at the same time for the same picture…

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Our kids’ pony
- Man, kids’ horses are hard to find! I am daily grateful we found a super sweet, kid-broke little black pony mare that my kids adore. She hasn’t said in so many words, but I think the feeling is mutual.

This is Crow. We heart her.

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Rain
- The other day, it rained here for the first time in several months. It was beautiful. Rejuvenating. Saturating. Muddy. Wonderful.
My saddle
- I don’t ride very often these days, but I will return to the saddle when my kids are a little older. I sure am grateful that I have a custom-built rig I bought years ago just waiting in the saddle house for me. It’s like an old friend…that I bought and paid for. Ha!
Our pickup
- The wipers do work, and the horn does blow, but unfortunately, there is something wrong with the radio. No matter, though – I’m grateful we have a paid-for, reliable 2001 Dodge with a Cummins. It pulls our trailer where we need to go, and has never left us stranded.

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My kids’ love of horses
- I’m so grateful our kids like to ride and have the bug for all things horse and cowboy, just like their dad and I do. It’s fun to share this lifestyle with my favorite little people.
Our horse pens
- When we moved to our 5-acre home place, it was only perimeter fence. We now have a large horse pen, a smaller horse pen, a night lot, a round pen, and an arena, all thanks to my husband, the Amazing One-Man Fence Crew. He set all the railroad ties for the H-braces by hand. He pounded t-posts and strung wire alone. He cut and tied stays. Every time I look at those hell-for-stout fences, I am super proud of and grateful for my husband’s hard work.
Swinging gates
- Jim built wire gates for our horse pens this spring. He won a ranch rodeo this summer, and used some of his winnings to buy swinging gates. Every time I easily open and shut a gate, I am grateful for his roping skills and dedication to his family.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving season? Leave a note in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!