The Horses That Create Us: Pt.3, Thistle

An excessive introduction is not necessary for Thistle, just a mutual understanding: Everything is all about Thistle.

March 22, 2016, my mom, my cousin, and I picked up a scrawny, fluffy, mohawked little Thoroughbred named Thistle. I hated him. He refused to get on the trailer, went around with his tongue over the bit, used his head as a battering ram, and had to be sedated or heavily restrained for nearly every veterinary or farrier appointment. He had a horribly cocky personality and real dark sense of humor. If Thistle didn’t want to do something, it was not going to be done. He was difficult to love, or even like.

I can’t say I really liked Thistle until we bought him out of our free lease several months later. At that point I was figuring out how to ride him, and he had become more comfortable around us, so there was a decrease of big bruises and near concussions. Nearly five years later, Thistle and I have built a real relationship, but it has taken a lot of time, work, and reflection to get here.

I can confidently say that Thistle is one of the most technically difficult horses I have ever ridden. People don’t believe me when I claim that. He can be so quiet on the flat, so beautiful over fences, and my carefully controlled social media paints a pretty perfect picture. But most people have never witnessed Thistle sliding into a ditch on cross country or crashing through stadium with his hocks on the ground. He wanted the perfect rider, on perfect footing, over perfect jumps, with a perfect atmosphere. It was physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. There were many moments of greatness, but also many moments of despair.

With that being said, I have come to realize that there is value in riding a difficult horse. Difficult horses make great riders, and they make the journey worth the wait and work. Difficult horses are rewarding beyond measure, but I truly believe that it takes time and new perspectives to understand that.

At the lowest of lows with Thistle, I questioned why I had ended up with such an idiosyncratic horse. What kind of luck and fate and whatnot had put him in my hands? Why couldn’t I have found a “better”, easier one? As I reflect on it now, I am able to understand Thistle’s value in my development.

Thistle gave me the experience of riding a quality horse. On his best days, Thistle was a powerhouse in every phase. Even at just 15.1hh, Thistle’s impressive gaits and presence put him in the top standings after dressage. His round and powerful jump always left the rails up, and his adjustability and efficiency made him a cross country machine. While the perfect rides were few and far between, those moments gave me the “feel” of a good, quality horse, a vital trait for riders aiming for high success.

Thistle also helped me love dressage. As I mentioned, Thistle could win the dressage. Even when he felt explosive in the sandbox, his presence moved him up to the top. Besides that, he was so versatile and willing. I could experiment with things I wanted to learn, and he could express the power that he held inside of him. Don’t get me wrong, we worked really hard to get to that point, but it was so worth it.

Additionally, Thistle really helped me progress and develop my riding style. I take pride in understanding the “thoroughbred ride”, and Thistle gave me a lot of experience with it. Little is always more, and being able to quietly handle a difficult situation is so valuable as a rider. Thistle taught me that irrational, emotional responses only escalated problems, and fast, physical retorts were and are never the right answer. A soft, composed, and rewarding ride is preferred by horses, and most onlookers as well.

With all of Thistle’s challenges aside, I do need to give him credit. We got him so that I had a horse to ride and compete. We obviously had hardships, but we also had some really great achievements. I had goals to go Beginner Novice, and he exceeded expectations and made it all the way to Training. We achieved my first win at a recognized event. He helped me achieve my first national certification in Pony Club. We earned my personal best dressage score. I was awarded the Dancing Weather Memorial Trophy for my ride on him through Pony Club. We competed in our first dressage musical freestyle. We won Reserve Champion in the dressage at the Virginia 4H State Championships. And outside of physical awards, we made countless incredible memories as a team and built a pretty incredible partnership.

Thistle also checks a lot of boxes that other horses can’t. Thistle is a great lesson horse, and jogging around the ring with a kid is probably his favorite job. Not to mention, I’ve never met a kid that didn’t love him. Thistle also really enjoys riding tackless, and is pretty good at that too. He is happy to nap with you in his stall and won’t be bothered if you cuddle up with him. He has taught several new people through his current lease situation, and is becoming a barn favorite. He has also developed a really sweet and goofy personality that is hard not to love. Clearly Thistle did not start out like this, but we’ve really learned to love and respect each other, which has helped him blossom into a really special horse.

Thistle holds a special place in my heart, in part as a horse that I have grown to love and learn from, but also as a horse that has fueled my personal growth as a rider. We matured and grew up together, and we learned a lot in the process. Thistle may not have been the perfect event horse, but he has been a vital piece of my development. Not only did help me immensely improve my riding and horsemanship, but he also taught me a lot about self reflection and perspective, and I can’t thank him enough for that.