A good horse really makes a difference when it comes to competition. A team roper needs a horse that is quiet in the box, scores, and breaks flat and smooth. He must then run hard, rate, be strong on the end of the rope, and face in a hurry. That good horse will be able to perform this over and over again with consistency.
I have been bringing a head horse along this past year. I would say this is a good horse. He is quiet in the box, scores and runs hard. He pulls hard and faces well. However, he has one flaw that causes me trouble. Just when I throw my head loop, he will periodically move forward, causing me to neck catch or get ahead of the steer.
I’ve been given a lot of good advice as to how to correct the problem, and for the most part, it really helps. Every now and then, just when you least expect it, he moves ahead again. My question then is this: Does this mean he is a bad horse? Well, that depends upon the person riding him. I maintain that this is a good horse, one that is really nice to be around, gentle and safe. He tries hard to please. As the rider, according to my standards, he’s one of the best I’ve owned.
I often hear someone say “Those are good people.” Most of us think we are “good people.” We set a standard like this: Hitler, being the worst at a #1, and Mother Theresa, being the best at a #10. We like to place ourselves somewhere in the middle, say a five or six. This works, as long as we are able to look around and find a few people we know that are worse on the scale than us, like a two or a three.
A man in the Bible came to Jesus and called him “Good Teacher.” Jesus responded, “Why do you call me good? Only God is good.” In one phrase He set the standard for what good is, perfection. We all fall short. He, however, has the power to make us good by coming into our lives. His presence begins to make us good. He is in the business of transforming people from the inside out.
If I will put in the time and effort needed and don’t become discouraged, I believe this head horse of mine will be a good one according to my standard. God works the same way with us. His goal is to bring us to a place of ultimate good that only He can make happen in our lives. You see, your idea of what makes a good horse may be different than mine, but only God determines what makes a good person. Without Him we are all 1’s, and if we are honest with ourselves, we are very aware of our flaws. Thankfully, He accepts us the way we are, but loves us too much to leave us that way.
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