A Thankful Month: Grateful for Animals
With the beginning of November, it becomes more apparent than ever the holidays are fast approaching. Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Preparing for a day of gratefulness can spark feelings of gratitude in ourselves. After all, Thanksgiving is a time to spend with family and friends, a time to give thanks for what we have.
We at Prospector Ranch have a lot to be grateful for this November. This week, we highlight being thankful for our beloved animals.
Meggan Kimberley, the owner together with her husband Chris, has always loved animals, ever since she was a child. Growing up on a cattle farm in Iowa she was surrounded by pigs, horses, chickens, cats, dogs, you name it. Out of all the animals she has interacted with in her life, her favorite animal is the horse. To her, she feels a love of horses resides in your DNA. Having come from a family who have been horse-lovers for generations, this perspective is not that difficult to believe.
Animals have a way of bringing out the best in people, a pillar of calmness in an otherwise chaotic and stressful world. Animals mean a lot to Meggan. With the busyness of life, she doesn't spend as much time with them as she'd like to. That means the time she does get to spend with them is precious. She believes animals force you to be in the moment, to take time to enjoy the little things in life, and that they do. When they want attention, they make it known, expecting you to drop whatever you're doing to pay attention to them. Meggan has that experience all the time with her dog Monty. All too often when she decides to go onto her cell phone, her dog decides it's the perfect time to demand her attention. He'll sit down and bark at her, wanting her to concentrate on him.
Our dog monty.
Though it can be challenging living with and taking care of animals, it can also be very rewarding. In addition to having two dogs, Meggan and her husband also have a pony named Jenny and her baby mule named Curious George (because he's a very curious boy) nicknamed Jorge because he’s a rascal. She got them in the beginning of July, and they have become more of a rescue project. She and a horse trainer are working with Jenny to get her trust others easier by starting with the basics and for fun, teaching her tricks. One of the tricks is to teach her to give you a kiss on the cheek. For Jorge, the trainer has been teaching him to smile, and to count by pawing the ground.
Our pony Jenny and her baby mule Curious George.
Sometimes, the baby mule will get so excited to train, he'll start pawing the ground before ever being told what to do, eager to get treats. But he isn't always a sweet boy. Sometimes, he likes to run away from Meggan, kicking up his back legs in a bucking motion. In animal language, this means he's being a brat and disrespectful. No sooner than he has thrown his little horse temper tantrum, he'll come up and be all sweet to her once again. There is still much work to do with Jenny and jorge but patience and love is important.
It's both a challenging and rewarding experience, taking care of animals, but Meggan wouldn't want it any other way. She's grateful for the opportunities to take care of animals including dogs, horses, cats, and bunnies, as well as expand their furry family. The beautiful thing about animals is they don't care about what's going on with your life, they want you to be present in the moment, with them. Animals have always been a part of Meggan's life, and she's forever thankful for the light and love they bring to her and others who visit Prospector Ranch.
