Making memories

Making memories isn’t just for children. Memories strengthen our sense of self and our relationships, so it makes sense to keep at it as we age – to try new things and push ourselves. That said, it was definitely easier when body parts didn’t hurt, and someone else got the gear packed, made sure there was food and clean clothes, and paid the bills.

Time spent with horses is memory-making by default. People stepping into the horse world, and new to the sport, will amass them quickly – all kinds. Hopefully most will be positive, but it’s often the bloopers that have the staying power. My mother (a farm girl more familiar with cows) once tied a pony to an upright clothesline. Think about that for a second. No one was injured and we still talk about it. Her efforts were quickly outdone by another Pony Club mum who tied her daughter’s pony to a picnic table.

COVID-19 has created a seller’s market in the horse world. The sport is socially distanced by nature, and I’m guessing the increased family time has also provided more opportunities for children to pester their parents for a pony, aided no doubt by weakened parental defences. Visions of accomplished goals, and adventures on the road will someday turn into “remember that time?”

Garry Leeson certainly knows how to make (and share) a memory. This issue’s “Life of Leeson” features the first installment of “The other Musical Ride,” a tale from Garry’s time with the Toronto Police Department. HP readers share Garry’s limitless recollections with readers of other publications, and more recently his book The Dome Chronicles. Published by Nevermore Press, it begins in 1972 with Garry, his wife Andrea, and a menagerie of farm animals leaving Toronto by boxcar for a deserted 100-acre farm on the South Mountain of Nova Scotia, outside of Kingston.

Garry was recently honoured as the 2021 winner of the Atlantic Book Awards Margaret and John Savage First Book Award for The Dome Chronicles. The award was presented for the first time in 2003, and recognizes the best first books published in the previous year by Atlantic writers. Congratulations Garry from all of us at HP on this amazing accomplishment.

We are fortunate to have longtime contributor Judith Scrimger back from retirement to share her essay “Horses are Forever.” From riding on the farm, and barrel racing as a teenager, Judith proved the point by starting over with a three-year-old pony aptly named “Cinderella.” Inspiration to us all to keep doing what we love.

COVID-19 has acted as a catalyst for some to get on with their dreams, but for others it has forced dreams to be temporarily put on hold. Sherone Black caught up with Stefanie Reinhardt after the first part of her horseback adventure – inspired by one nearly a century ago that she read about while recuperating from an injury. “Solo trekking” is challenging enough without a pandemic, as you’ll discover, and Reinhardt has been unable to continue on the next leg of her journey due to pandemic restrictions. We’ll look forward to hearing more when she’s able to continue on.

Making memories can be hard work, and requires courage and commitment, just like everything else worth doing. Hopefully down the road when we look back on this crazy COVID time, we’ll all have created some special memories in spite of it all.

Have fun!