Welcome New Sisters! (click for current roster)
Merit Badge Awardees (click for latest awards)
My featured Merit Badge Awardee of the Week is … Sarah Hall!!!
Sarah Hall has received a certificate of achievement in Garden Gate for earning a Beginner Level Horse Dreams Merit Badge!
“I live in an area where horses are not hard to find. My husband and I took a bike ride a few miles from our house and looked at the fields of beautiful horses. I really liked the American Painted Horses and swooned over all of the miniature horses!
I scheduled an hour-long ride near Rocky Mountain National Park and brought a friend along with me.
This truly turned out great! My first and only experience with a horse prior to this was at summer camp when I was a child. The horse stepped on my foot, crushing it, and I had many months of recovery with added complications due to my type I diabetes. I was traumatized by the experience but have always still admired horses (from afar). When I saw this badge, I knew that it was time for me to try to get over my fear of being too close to them (I do know that what happened to me as a kid was due to my inexperience and not the horse, but I was fearful none the less).
I was very nervous being near the horse and getting on it, but once I was in the saddle, my fear went away. The horse I rode was gentle and the ride was amazing (AND she was an American Paint Horse by chance). I really had the time of my life and would love the opportunity to go again! (I am in the white shirt with the huge smile on my face!)”
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Congratulations Sarah! What a great summer badge to work on. I love the mountain background in the photo with you on the American Paint Horse.
Awesome, Sarah! I’m so glad this experience was better than your other one!
You look like a natural Sarah! Congratulations on getting into the saddle! Horses are amazing aren’t they?
You sure do look right at home!
That is awesome Sarah! The horse you’re riding looks beautiful & you look so happy. Was brave of you to give horseback riding another try & I’m happy to see it turned out nicely:-)
I’m so glad you gave it another try! I got smooshed on as a kid, too, but I was lucky – it was only a Welsh pony, and he more or less slid down my foot and stayed there placidly looking at me with what I swear was a twinkle in his eyes, until I finally convinced him to move off. The dirt was soft or I might still be there to this day…
Thanks so much! It really was a wonderful experience and has totally changed the way that I look at horses. I am so grateful that it went the way that it did and I can’t wait to have another opportunity to ride. 🙂