joe.southern@amarillo.com
There once was a time when horses in downtown Amarillo were commonplace. But this is 2007, and horses have long since been replaced by automobiles.
Any horses seen in the city are either in a parade or painted works of art. Yet, on occasion, a group of horses can been seen standing patiently in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen as traffic whizzes by on Interstate 40 and Washington Street. Sometimes they're at the McDonald's on Soncy Road. Wherever they are, they're a curiosity in this old cow town.
On a recent Saturday, the riders sat in the Dairy Queen, eating lunch and cooling off with ice cream while people outside stopped to pet the hobbled horses and take their pictures. They belong to G.A. Gossett, a retired United Parcel Service driver. The riders are children from all walks of life in and around Amarillo.
"This is a lot of fun for me to see the kids do this," Gossett said over a cup of coffee in a booth at the Dairy Queen.
As much as he and the children enjoy it, there are other reasons Gossett takes the youngsters on free horse rides.
"If we can't use what we've got to tell someone about Jesus Christ, what good is it?" he said.
He also wants to teach the next generation the skills and love of riding horses.
"When my generation dies off, nobody will have any need for horses," he said. "People teach kids how to ride but they charge $30 or $40 an hour. The only people who will ride will be the rich kids."
Rich children are certainly welcome to come ride. But most of the children Gossett gets come from homes where riding lessons are not affordable.
"Most of these kids wouldn't get to do nothin' if he didn't have this deal for them," said Shaver Clark, a friend who helps Gossett with the program.
Gossett lets youngsters ride whenever it doesn't interfere with school. Riders meet at his place on the north side of town on Saturdays at 9 a.m. or Sundays at 1 p.m. They also ride on days when school is out and more frequently during the summer.
When the riders arrive, they're responsible for getting out the tack and saddling the horses. Once they're ready, they gather under a tree near the road. There, they are led through a devotional and a prayer. Quite often a minister from Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church will say a few words. Sometimes Gossett will do it. On this particular Saturday, the Rev. Landrum Medlock talked to the young riders about finding God in creation.
"As you look around and see things, you can see God in that," he said. After his short devotional and a closing prayer, the riders headed off on their cross-town trek. They crossed under U.S. Highway 287 at Central Avenue and worked their way south along the west side of Thompson Park. They then navigated their way down side roads and alleys until they reached South Crockett Street. They rode down Crockett and under Interstate 40. From there they took the I-40 Frontage Road back east to Washington Street and the Dairy Queen.
After dismounting, they hobbled the horses by tying their front legs together and then headed inside to eat.
"We get pretty busy when they come bring them horses. We get quite a bit of business off of them," manager Billie Balzer said.
Balzer said she hears a few complaints from people who think hobbling the horses is cruel. But she says she more often hears from people who want to know about the next trek.
"We really enjoy having them," she said.
During their lunch break, several of the youngsters talked about what the riding program meant to them. Cheri Moore was able to easily look past the cut on her chin she suffered when she was bucked off her steed earlier in the ride.
"I think its really good. I'm so glad to get to ride and stuff," said Cheri, 13. "It's really good for all the kids."
Other youngsters generally felt the ride taught them how to be responsible for animals.
"We have to be kind to the animals and take care of them," added Lyndsey Phipps, 17.
Kyle Phipps, 16, has been riding for more than four years.
"When I started riding I wanted to do better and stuff," he said. "It's motivation to keep my grades up. If I don't keep my grades up I don't get to ride."
"It's fun and it's a really good experience being with the horses and the kids," added 13-year-old Erica Brown. "I wanted to have a horse before, but I didn't know much about them."
After eating and then posing for pictures, the children mounted up and headed back to the farm. When they returned, they stowed the tack, watered the horses and returned them to their pens.
Gossett said making children do the work teaches them proper care for horses.
"If the industry doesn't start teaching kids to ride horses that's going to be the end of it," he said. "These kids are going to be the next buyers."
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