Summer at the Saddle Camp

 SUMMER AT THE SADDLE CAMP

When I was about 12 or 13 years old I worked one summer at Mr. Henry Meachum’s stable at Paw Paw lake across from the Pleasant View  bar and grill.  I lived in a one room building with only a small bed and a wash basin, and an outside toilet. I ate my meals at nearby restaurants and took my bath in Paw Paw lake. 

One day a lady and her daughter came for her daughter to ride. She was around 5 or 6 years old. I put her on one of our ponies named Queenie and took her across the road to a field that had a circle that the horses would walk around. I started Queenie going around and went back to the stable to do other things. Then I heard the mother screaming so I ran out to see what was wrong. The mother was pointing across the road, and I saw that Queenie had laid down and the little girl was just sitting there waiting for something to happen. I went over and made Queenie get up and started her going around again.  Again I went back to the stable and started doing other things, and soon I heard the mother yelling for me. Sure enough, Queenie had laid down again. This time she got up before I got to her. I started her going around again but this time I stayed until time was up for the ride. All this time the little girl thought this was just great, and only the mother was upset. 

There were a lot of summer camps for both girls and boys near Paw Paw lake that came over to ride, so I got to meet a lot of nice girls. 

The first day after we unloaded all the horses two other boys and I decided to go for a ride. I picked this Texas pony because he was wild and needed to be ridden to settle him down so we could use him with other people.  We went down the road a mile or so and stopped to adjust the saddles, but when I went to get back on the pony started turning around and around. Finally he got away from me and he went back to the stable without me.  When I got back to the stable I sure was embarrassed. I had lost my horse the first day on the job. I got back on him and just he and I went for a long hard ride. When we got back to the stable he sure was tired and was not acting wild any more. 

I got to go home one night a week to get clean clothes and other things.  Needless to say, this sure was a fun summer. 

PHOTO: I don't know who the people are in this photo. It was among a group of pictures that came from Aunt Renue, mostly of people I can't identify.