An Era Gone By

When my brother and I were watching my niece take a riding lesson last week, my brother made a statement that hung with me and has had me reminiscing about the days we grew up riding. He asked me why kids today do not have the same opportunities to experience riding and growing up at the barn as we both did when we were younger. I knew where he was going with this question and responded the only way I knew how. As unfortunate as it is, in today’s world, there are too many liabilities and lawsuits to allow the carefree privilege we were allowed…but privileges we were both extremely lucky to have.

Rewind about 47 years, my parents signed me up for riding lessons at a local stable when I was 5 years old. Little did they know that it would not be a passing phase and the sport would eat holes in their wallets. However, they managed to keep me enrolled in lessons when it proved to bring me out of my shell, teach me responsibility and most importantly keep me out of “street trouble”. My brother soon followed suit and although he was a complete natural, I had to work hard to coordinate my, tall, lanky and leggy stature on top of a horse (Ponies were never in the cards for me). I am still convinced my brother did not enlist in riding for his natural talent and abilities as much as he did for flirting and playing with the female contenders of the sport.

As I have assisted with teaching my own girls to ride our horses…parent/child instruction is no easy feat and one I would not recommend…it has occurred to me that they will never know the value of the blood, sweat and tears as I and so many others learned while riding under Linda’s tutelage.

Now the stables where I grew up was perhaps an ordinary stable in the day…but not so much in today’so world. Not only was the barn a boarding and lesson facility but it was a breeding facility, as well. It seemed like a mare delivered a baby every Monday…and soon the facility would house as many as 80 horses at one time.

In between weekly lessons, Linda would encourage you to practice as often as your schedule would allow between school and other activities (this offer is not extended as readily now as it once was). Little did unsuspecting students know that this invitation would include riding “barn babies”. In other words, once a filly or colt was old enough and it could walk, eat, drink and breathe, you were assigned a death warrant. Having said this, let me mention that there were no human fatalities while growing up at the barn. However, when a student came in from riding their assignment for the day without any broken bones, you were then invited to join Linda on a Fox Hunting venture for the weekend. Once you and your project passed without incident, that riding assignment was put up for sale and you were given another project…and more often than not, that would mean you would be the first one to accomplish getting on the horse. In our world in the 70’s, “green” meant show-accomplished.

I will say that anyone who purchased a pony or horse from Linda would be assured their new partner would be totally bomb-proof when leaving the only home they ever knew up to that point. Linda had 4 children of her own (not including all of the children that she took under her wing thru the years). She had 3 boys who would have paint wars in the nearby woods and a daughter who excelled thru national rankings in the horse show world.  On any given day, she would have students galloping thru alligator ponds, jumping picnic tables, pump houses, canoes and anything that would stand still long enough, playing Cowboys and Indians, or hiding go seek bareback. There was nothing considered too extreme as long as you wearing a helmet and boots. Did I mention the peacocks that would fly out of the trees when you rode under them, the boars, cows and wild horses you would encounter on trail or perhaps the neighbor on the adjacent property choosing your lesson time to practice target shooting?

Eventually if financial resources were in the cards, you would graduate to leasing an available horse of your choice, which meant you were responsible for that horse until it sold. I had many broken hearts when my “lease horse” would sell. Finally, the time came when my parents presented me with a horse of my very own Christmas 1982. My parents were adamant about me being old enough to drive before owning my own horse so that I would be able to tend to the daily tasks without having to rely on them to for transportation (until that time, Linda or one of senior trainers provided transportation for students). Now, this first horse did not come on a silver platter or without a cost…and was also a “barn baby” but simply purchased from another barn.  I had to complete an 8 hour work schedule at home every weekend, while maintaining homework and finding time to ride…and attend the seasonal show or event.. if I was competing over the weekend, the work load had to be made up during the week. I know now that my parents were capable of supporting the “cause” but they instilled in me that hard work goes into any dream or goal. Two more hours were added to the schedule when they provided me with a horse trailer. The most challenging rule was that my brother and I had to choose another sport in addition to riding to explore other potential interests ( I chose tennis and Trace chose baseball). By this time, there were not enough hours in the week to get everything done…but my determination prevailed. Eventually, my parent’so investment carried me successfully thru 3-day Training Level ( by this time, Linda pursued an interest in eventing with her students).

Fast forward another few years, I now understand that those 8-10 hours of weekly chores hardly touched the true expense of having a horse until I was financially on my own. The only way I could afford to buy a horse was to buy them young before training expenses would elevate the selling price. This would mean I would spend more time training than I would be competing. But there is something to be said about the connection you acquire with a horse from death warrant years thru the accomplished years. In the end, as I have spent time (and continue to spend time) with my senior equine companions, I realize how fortunate I am to have been a part of every milestone shared with my horses.

In all fairness, there was one exception in between the death warrant years when I was able to afford a seasoned show horse…but only because the previous owner encountered unfortunate health issues. Trainers would always have to remind me that I had a “show veteran” and to quit  doing all the thinking for the horse…just sit back and have fun! What a concept…and one that would take some time getting used to.  At this time, Linda phased back into hunter shows, as her daughter was doing extremely well on the hunter show circuit.

Hind sight, if given the opportunity to go back to the days of old, would I? Absolutely and without a doubt! Linda provided to her students thae ability to play hard as long as you worked hard…and there was always work to be done with vast acreage as a playground and many mouths to feed. I feel extremely lucky to have had Linda not only as a mentor and trainer but for providing her students the opportunity to experience what today’so generation may never get to experience. She gave us access to to a variety of disciplines and some of the greatest trainers in those disciplines.

After all, how many children today can say that they were allowed the opportunity to hop on a horse and play Cowboys and Indians, while clearing out the banana spiders for the riders behind us? Who else spent time in the hay barn with the “secret barn society”…if for no other reason than trying to evade the fact that no one rode the infamous bratty barn baby, so as to maintain self preservation for the one day. Who else spent the hottest summer days eating watermelon Linda would provide, playing under the sprinklers, dunking one another in the water troughs, galloping away from the historic plantation ghosts, racing horses down “suicide trail” and merely being kids…all while surviving to tell the stories? I would venture to say not many…but those of us that did in the 60’s and 70’s will always cherish the memories of an era gone by.

Regardless what decade you ventured upon Cannons Point Hunt Stables, everyone in some form or fashion was was shaped by their experience there…whether you were a student, lessee or boarder. Some have continued with competing, some have gone to have their own barn, manage a barn, give lessons, own a horse or horses, ride for leisure b/w other obligations, have children or grandchildren riding or may have taken a sebatical for family, health or financial reasons…but in one way or another, Linda not only helped to shape who we were then…but who we are today.

Dedicated to Susan, David, Solon and Don Jon in loving memory of their mother, Linda Lucy Long Linton (LLLL)