Gaining knowledge and wisdom from an animal is a true blessing and not something every person gets to experience in their lifetime. These lessons are invaluable and often span the distance of a lifetime. This week, we are excited to welcome back a past contributor to the Arizona Beef Blog, Jolyn Smith of Arizona Ranch Reflections, as she perfectly sums up an invaluable relationship between Paco and her granddaughter, Morgan. Please be sure to visit Jolyn’s Facebook page as she offers beautiful photos of her ranch and words of wisdom we all need.
Originally posted May 15, 2017, Arizona Ranch Reflections
His name is Paco and he is my husbands “retired” ranch horse. They don’t get any better than this one! He is 29 years old this year and he is the best “teacher” anyone could ever have. To say that our oldest grandgirl loves this horse would be an understatement!
Oh, the lessons he’s taught her.
Morgan has learned to watch where he is “looking” because he always spots the cows first. Morgan has learned that she can trust him when he goes up and down the canyons and the mountain picking the best and safest way to go. She has learned she can trust him when they get in a “jam” (according to Morgan, not Paco) and he calmly knows how to handle the situation.
Morgan is learning how to “watch a cow”‘and know what it’s going to do before it does because Paco is a professional at this and she is learning to “feel” what his next move will be. Morgan is learning about obedience because Paco does what she asks of him every time. When she rides one of the younger horses, they don’t always pay attention to what she asks and that frustrates her. It makes for a great analogy to share when she is being “stubborn.” (Not that that ever happens with a 9-year-old!)
Morgan has learned to be comfortable with the silence they share, even when she is nowhere in sight of any one else and I worry she may be “lost.” Paco always knows the way and she knows there isn’t any reason to be afraid.
Morgan concerns herself with the fact that Paco is going to die someday. Truth be told, we all do. She gets tears in her eyes when she thinks about it or what she asks questions about him like “when he is going to die?” I often catch her just looking at him in silence, I know what she’s thinking. The thought causes her to pay better attention to him and what he’s all about because she knows we won’t have him forever. Not physically anyway; always in our hearts though.
This summer, I think Morgan will be ready to pass him on to the next one in line that needs a “teacher”, and trust me when I say there is a herd waiting.
Morgan doesn’t know this yet, but Paco will let her know when she’s ready to do so, that’s what good teachers do.
Thank you, Paco, for taking such good care of my littles, I wish you could live forever and teach them all.
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