Major Lessons Learned

Hailey Kane has made a lot of progress in the time she has been taking her riding lessons. One big lesson is to never let fear control you.

In the photo above, Hailey has just mounted on her horse after taking a very bad fall just moments earlier. Although nothing was broken or sprained in the fall, she was very bruised up and in pain. Despite that, she did get back on the horse and spent another hour doing her riding lessons.

We are very proud of her.

We had a new student join us this past weekend, Christina Watkins. She is a classmate of Hailey’s. Christina really liked the horse-riding lessons and is a natural for it. She was riding open pasture her first day and did well.

Bella Trice continues to be our start student. She has really continued to improve each week and we have great confidence in her. The discipline she is learning with horses has helped her in improving her school grades as well. She has improved to the extent that she is now offering tutoring help to fellow classmates and younger members of our youth group.

What it is all about 11/17

Torrinda May leads the riding students in a circle prayer at the conclusion of each Saturday morning riding lessons session. They and we have much for which to be thankful. A proper western horse culture is always based on strong Christian foundationTorrinda May leads the riding students in a circle prayer at the conclusion of each Saturday morning riding lessons session. They and we have much for which to be thankful. A proper western horse culture is always based on strong Christian foundation

Bella Trice continues to be a dedicated cowgirl in the making. We are all proud of her growth in horsemanship and her Christian faith.

Emma was back with us this week. She did very well, obviously enjoys it and is a natural as a young cowgirl. We look forward to her continued growth.

Lacey Brunz at 20 months old is the youngest member of our group. She did NOT like her first horse ride but liked the horse and DID like the trampoline later that day.

The twins Haven and Hadleigh are running out to the rear of the pasture to meet up with the barrell racing initial training the riding students were doing. Haven is a very eager rider but Hadleigh is a little less enthusiastic.

October 25 2020 Horse Riding Lessons

Hayleigh Kane continues to improve and is now really enjoying her riding. In this photo, she is doing her second full session of loping in the round pen. She also did loping runs in the open pasture.

Bella Trice also continues to improve. She likewise did loping runs in the round pen and in the open pasture

The riding group is breaking up from a prayer circle. After each riding lesson session, Torrinda May always concludes with a circle prayer with the children. The children know that the riding lessons and progress is an extension of the church lessons.

Action Signs of Cleburne was very generous in donating this sign for us. We are starting a bimonthly yard sale in Rio Vista to support our ministry. The items in the yard sale are donated from families who are either downsizing or have clothes/shoes/toys/tools/kitchen etc items they or their children have either outgrown or no longer need.

October 10 2020 Horse Riding Lessons

Our youngest member, Lacey Brunz, was watching Matthew Burgess ride. She was very excited and wanted to ride herself, but at 21 months old, is a year or so away from riding. She was, however, a good cheer leader.

Hailey Kane continues to be our most improved horse rider. She has overcome her initial fear and really enjoys her lessons now.

Bella Trice continues to be the most eager and advanced rider in the group. She has a natural talent for it and the horses respond well to her.

Left to right… Lacey, Matthew, Ethan and Hayleigh hanging out while Bella is riding

Lacey getting reacquainted with the mother goat.

Lacey and the new mini goat getting acquainted.

Future Boss Lady

New Youth Group Member, Future Boss Lady, September 12, 2020

We have a new member to our Youth Ministry and also, it’s new caboose.

Her name is Lacey Brunz … she is 18 months old and quite the take charge Boss Lady.

In this photo, she is sizing up the Boss’s desk for her future digs and already redecorating it. She loves the outdoors and is already participating in my walk-abouts

The Last Roundup

Last Roundup August 12, 2020

This would be Eden Hull’s last session with us. She and her father Jeff are moving back to Milwaukee Wisconsin. Eden has been with us over 4 years and we will miss her greatly. She has a very generous and kind heart and has been a blessing to us all.

Emma’s first horse riding session.

Today was Emma’s first horse riding session with us and she has a natural instinct for it. We look forward to many good years with Emma helping her develop into a strong Christian adult horsewoman and a good friend.

Baby Kason Grace

Baby Kason Grace…already nine months old! Time sure does fly! Four generations of helping children…she is definitely the future of John’s Texas Youth! ❤”

Baby Kason Grace

BLAST FROM THE PAST

These photos were taken April 14, 2019 in Rio Vista. Dr Kevin Owens had offered to let my youth group come to his property on that Sunday after church.

We both thought, since the water was still cold, that the children would just fish and maybe wade up to their knees, maybe.

Instead, Dixie Johnson led the way to the deep end of the creek and within minutes, they were all swimming and playing in the water.

It was one of those rare moments in these high risk children’s lives where they felt safe and could just be kids… no cell phones, no video games, no failed adults around them… just being carefree kids.

They stayed in for over 2 hours playing in the water and mud…. Kevin and I had to force them to get out so we could get them back home.

That happy afternoon memory will always stick with me.

BIG BREAKTHROUGH

This past Saturday morning, Torrinda and Clint placed orange cones in the round pen and had the trainee children all ride solo around the cones… learning how to steer and control the horse better.
They all did much better and were very proud of their advancement. Acouple more weeks of this obstacle course training and they will be able to ride on their own in the pasture. They are so looking forward to this.

In addition, after every riding session, they are trained to wash down the horse and to groom him.

Clin and Torrinda were so pleased with the children’s progress that they gave them a treat of riding in the back of the truck while the truck was going through the pasture

Orange cones obstacle course
Washing horse after riding
Pasture riding

July 11 Horse Riding Lessons

We switched over to Saturday morning sessions today rather than Sunday afternoon. Clint is the instructor while his wife Torrinda recovers from her surgery for the next few weeks.

We had 9 riders and 2 training horses today … one inside the round pen for the less experienced riders and one in the pasture for the two more experienced riders, Alice and Dominick. We will be adding 3 more children to the group next weekend… 2 brothers and a sister from Rio Vista. All of the younger riders are impatient to get out into the pasture for regular riding.

Eden Hull in the round pen and Alice Jones in pasture
Avery Gibson in the round pen and Alice Jones riding in the pasture
Hadleigh Kinnee and her horse