I Want to Meet Your Brother

From 12-29-08 it has been obvious how Lido's death had touched so many people and touched them so deeply. I am just starting to realize how deeply his life touched so many people. Yesterday afternoon we did an informal demonstration of the way my little riders tame and train wild horses for a few dedicated volunteers with USERL. In the last few years over 2,500 visitors have been out either to see the horses or for programs and demonstrations. Yesterday was a first for me in one regard. A visitor who had read my book was very excited about meeting Lido, who is referred to as Patrick in my book. She had no way of knowing of his death and she talked about why she wanted to meet him before I could explain that he was no longer with us.

Simply put, she said that she "liked" him and admired his spirit. It was obvious to me that as an adult with very little horse experience who wanted to become a rider, she viewed Lido as an inspiration in the most literal sense. As the plaque honoring Lido says on the bridge, "If I can do it, why can't you?"

Lido belonged to a very small fraternity--that of mustang trainers with cerebral palsy. From the time that he was ten years old on until I developed my program of little riders he was the first person to get on each colt and wild horse that we started. My book simply laid out his courage and determination and a simple reading of what he accomplished is enough to inspire anyone who wants to take on real challenges with horses. He put everything in perspective. As I once told Ashley, who is the best kid rider that I have ever seen, as much as I love to watch the simple beauty of her riding, it was not as impressive as watching Lido go catch, saddle, mount, and ride a horse using the half of his body that worked.

His life touched the rider who radically changed her lifestyle to improve her health so she could ride as well as he did. His life touched the little girl in Colorado who was about to give up on teaching her horse who was blind in one eye to lounge until she stopped and thought about what Lido would do in that situation. His life touched the adult riders who were having a range of problems with their horses by the simple, gentle way he showed them how to solve the problem. As he told the lady who brought out a stud chain to handle her very difficult horse, "Wait a minute until we get through twimmin you hoss feet and I will teach you how to handle you hoss." He did so without a hint of arrogance, or irony in his voice. He was simply offering to help.

His life touched many people in the Horse of the Americas Registry which now administers a fund to rescue endangered Spanish mustangs that is known as the "Lido Fund."

Perhaps yesterday his life touched me. Since Lido's death I have cancelled every clinic or program that I would have normally done in the spring. While I can still say the words and still move the horses I know that I have lost every bit of my stage presence, and perhaps more than most presenters, I know how important it is to be able to entertain if one is going to educate. Yesterday I did a very small, very informal demonstration. My presentation was flat, rather dull and certainly not what it used to be. But I did feel, for the first time since Lido died, a spark of life as I picked up the rope and touched the horse. Perhaps I can put everything back together. Lido would. If he could, then why can't I?


(The picture above is of Lido riding a beautiful mustang colt, Sand Creek. During the week prior to this clinic we started this colt and he taught him to come to a halt with the only cue being to deeply exhale.)