The below devotion is from Kaley Curtis, one of our volunteers and riders at Crooked Creek Farm. Curtis describes her journey with her personal horse, Jet, and how her story can help us live better and more productive lives!

About two or three years ago I was looking for a horse. I had no patience. I wanted a horse right then and there. I didn’t care how calm it was, I just wanted a horse that was pretty and I could ride. I ended up buying a horse named Jet.

Now I had just recently started and I still had a lot to learn before I really should have gotten a horse. With me being a newer rider, if I were going to buy a horse it needed to be a beginner friendly—kid safe horse. But, the horse that we chose was a 7 y/o, Arabian Quarter Horse Cross and this horse was not the calmest.

I was blinded by the fact that I “needed” a horse. So we ended up buying him. I rode him everyday. I had my first accidental canter on him, he was the first horse to ever buck with me on him and he was my first fall. About a year into owning him, I stoped riding him as much. When I would go and ride him, he would always spook, buck, or something like that. I wasn’t patient and I would get frustrated with him and get off. With me doing this, Jet developed bad habits.

One day, I went to ride Jet. I finished grooming and tacking and I walked over to the mounting block to get on. As I put the mounting block next to him, stood on it, and was about to get on, he started to walk away. I tried and tried again to get on. He wouldn’t let me. I got super frustrated but I didn’t give up. And I was finally able to get on. In that moment I noticed all of those bad habits that he had developed. And he developed them, because of me. That whole ride I was working with him to get rid of these habits that he had picked up. I worked with him, I didn’t get frustrated, and I had patience. I didn’t give up on him or on myself. And I’d say that, that ride was the most productive ride I’ve EVER had on him. And it’s all because I had patience.

Patience is what we need to have for others every day. Without patience, we frustrate easily and may ruin our day and the day for others. If we have patience and believe in the people around us, the day will go ten times better and smoother. If we have patience and don’t get frustrated, the day is a lot less stressful. We need patience each and everyday to help us as individuals (and a team) be productive and have the best and smoothest day possible!