Life and Emergency Straps

*Note: I wrote this a whillllle back and I wish I had dated this in my notebook, but unfortunately I did not.  I know it was around the time that Suzassippi wrote her post titled Pulling Leather and that was back in February.  I told yall I have a lost of stuff that needs to be posted!  I write a lot at lunch but then I have to find the time to type it up and somehow this year I can't seem to find, beg, or borrow any spare time.*

There was a great post a while back on Suzassippi's blog about "Pulling Leather", you can read that post HERE.  My little story for today started in the comments of that post and I thought I would elaborate a bit.

Several years ago while I was still in college we rode up to Houston one Friday night to work horses at the Coliseum.  My dun horse was young and green and while he didn't full out buck he did get bronky from time to time and little momma right here ain't no bronk buster.  Sitting a buck has never been one of my talents.

A cowboy friend, who's a real deal cowboy and one heck of a hand was on a grey horse we had never seen before.  This wasn't unusual as he took in horses to ride from time to time and bought and sold a few as well.  But run through the pommel of his saddle was a leather dog collar.  Now as we said this man is a real, true cowboy and can sit most any horse.  His wife barrel races and he usually rides her young horses until they are ready to start training with her.  So he's rode a few colts in his time.

I had rode over to where my Dad was standing and asked did he think that was a roper thing?  He scratched his beard, shrugged, and said he didn't know.  It was the first time either of us had seen a dog collar run though the front of a saddle like that.  I rode off and Daddy sidled over to talk, because that's what a Daddy does on a Friday night while their daughter rides.  I knew then he was going to find out about that dog collar.  They talked and I could hear them laugh and I stopped again to see what was so funny.

Come to find out this was a horse from a local cowboy and breeder.  He had a stud for years that threw a bunch of good cow horses and they all were grey just like him.  And just like that stud they all had a little cold backed streak.

And had a reputation for being a bit of a bronc...sometimes.

The cowboy tipped back his hat when I asked about the collar and looked at it hanging there on his saddle and then back at me with a grin.  "That there is my emergency strap."  He laughed and continued, "Like I was telling your Daddy this big boy has a pretty good buck and I ain't as young as I used to be."  He demonstrated how to use it, we laughed, and I rode off again.

Daddy came home the next day with a two inch wide leather dog collar from the co-op.

I put it through the pommel of my saddle and used it religiously for the first year or two I rode that dun horse.  It was just enough to help me when he got a little fresh and gave me a big boost of confidence.  Just what I needed.

Sometimes we all need a little emergency strap to hold onto.  Sometimes that's people, sometimes it's faith.  But we can't be afraid to ask or need a little help when things get rough.  Hang in there my lovelies.  Hold tight and know there's always someone out there thinking of you and don't be afraid to accept that help when it presents itself.