Many moons ago, when I was 19 or 20, and the Olsens had given me my horse, Jake, I got some valuable lessons in how-to-clean-tack.
Mrs Olsen was a stickler, and in her usual loving, yet abrasive, way, she told me that I needed to learn how to clean the tack in the barn if I was going to use it. But not just CLEAN the tack...I had to take it all apart and then clean it.
Of course, this struck me at first as a waste of time and why bother? Besides, how in the world would I get it back together again?
But, as is with all things that she taught me, she was absolutely right. Not only did it get every part clean...it taught me how they are made and assembled. It's a lot easier to understand a thing if you know how all its parts work.
And so, by adding to my confusion and frustration initially, she gave me a window to understanding so much more than just tack.
I think about Mrs Olsen a lot, and the next time I see her, I'm gonna give her a big hug.
The saddle photos above are my project for the morning...for the barn I am currently volunteering at. I haven't done this in awhile, and it's great fun. :)
