Students stood, freezing, but in awe of the sight before them. Teacher Amanda Brown brought in her horses Magic (a fourteen-year-old female Arabian Paso Fino standing 13.2 hands tall) and Comet (a twenty-year-old male Morgan standing 15 hands tall.)

Brown was joined by Lieutenant Colonel David King, who was completely dedicated to the event. Decked out in a complete cavalry uniform, he turned the heads of all students who passed him in the hallway.

King explained the difference between English and Western riding styles, being that the Western riding style includes a Western saddle that is more supported for cowboys as they distribute the weight of the rider more evenly. He also explained the importance of proper maintenance of horses’ hooves and the impact they had on the Western societies. “You can’t beat the Indians if your horse is lame,” he says.

While King spoke, Brown tacked up Comet, jumped on, and demonstrated the horse’s different gaits. She was able to get Comet to walk (the slowest), trot, canter (a variation of a lope), and gallop (the fastest.) Students stepped out of the way as she took Comet into a faster gait, and jumped barrels that were placed outside the gates of the baseball field. Afterwards, she jumped on Magic, and demonstrated the same thing but without a saddle.

Riding without a saddle is called bareback riding and it requires more athletic ability as you are forced to rely on the strength of your own muscles, rather than relying on stirrups.

Brown has had experience with horses since she was young, now owning 40 horses. She has raised Magic and Comet since they were young as well, growing up with them. She says that her favorite thing to let them do is “just let them run and graze freely” because “they seem happier that way.”

Though they were cold and waiting for the moment they could escape into the warmth of the school, the attending students enjoyed watching and learning about the horses.

Sophomore Josh Jarrell says, “I don’t know what was more impressive- Colonel King spilling everything he knows, or watching Ms. Brown with the horses.”

“I learned that horses are higher maintenance than I am,” says sophomore Julianne Breedlove.

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