Things are about to change around the Hartfield Ranchero.  My husband, Preston, has been working in the oilfield for the past 12 years.  What many people don’t know is that he is also a very talented horse trainer. Yep. And I am not just saying that because he is my husband, well maybe a little bit, but he really is pretty awesome.                                                

When I met Preston, many moons ago, he had previously worked on a working cattle ranch in Oklahoma and started a few horses.  I was loping (exercising horses) for a cutting horse trainer at the time and he came over to ride with me one day.  We had this older grey horse named Do’knob.  Use your imagination with that name. He was an old show horse that was hurt many years prior and we used him to help gather cattle, etc.  Do’knob was a bit ornery.  When you first saddled him, he liked to buck, kick and fart around, but then he was good to go.  Seriously, this horse looked like a two-time world champion bucking horse when you first saddled him.  But, I would trust your first-born child on this horse after he was warmed up! I mean… I didn’t tell Preston that part.  Why take all the fun out of it?

This was the first time Preston had come to ride with me and very early in our dating relationship.  Looking back, I probably shouldn’t have taken the risk of losing him so early on, I kinda liked him J.   I told him he was going to ride Do’knob but I was going to put him in the round pen first.  Do’knob made a pretty good first impression with Preston.  He was kicking and bucking so hard the stirrups were clapping together over the saddle.

LOL. If you could have seen the look on Preston’s face! Ha ha!

I didn’t tell Preston until after he got on him that he was a total teddy bear.

Good times. Good times.

When we were first married, Preston worked for several well-known horse trainers breaking horses and did very well.  However, when I decided to pursue veterinary medicine we decided he needed to get back into the oil field because I couldn’t work anymore.  Unfortunately, training horses was not going to pay all the bills. What a man.  He gave up what he truly loved to help me pursue my dream.  And now I get to return the favor.

After 12 years of being away from me half of the year, Preston will now be home training horses full time.  I tear up now just thinking about it.  Mostly because I don’t have to do as many chores. Oh yeah and I get to see him every day!

Preston and I have both made a lot of sacrifices over the past several years, but it has all been worth it.  I am living my dream and Preston now gets to live his.

The scripture tells us in John 15:12-13,  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I loved you. GREATER love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

No, Preston didn’t lay down his life for me, but he did put his dream on hold because of his love for me.   Sometimes love requires sacrifice.  While reflecting on what Preston did for me, I began to think about what Jesus did for us.  Jesus died on the cross so that we might be saved.  That is LOVE.

As Preston and I start on this new adventure, our goal is to pursue Christ and glorify Him in all things. 

Let’s enjoy the ride!