by Katherine Chapman

Kristin feared her dreams were shattered. All she had worked for the entire year would never pay off. Two minutes before she was to enter the showring, her horse was sick—possibly heat exhaustion from the Oklahoma climate, or worse yet, colic. Keith, the horse trainer, quickly gave Aldebaran (Al-DA-ba-ron) electrolytes, which is like giving a runner Gatorade to beat the heat. Kristin prayed as tears gathered in her eyes.

Will to Win

Kristin, 12, first sat on a horse at a Memorial Day parade when she was 2. At 7 she was showing ponies at open shows with the Lower Michigan Horse Association. Her mother, Beth, remembers Kristin’s first competition.

"We were on the way to the horse show and Kristin tells me, ‘Mom, I’m gonna get high point today.’ Of course, I had to explain this was just her first horse show, and that she was only 7 and there were 10-year-olds who had been doing this for years. Well, she got high point."

In order to achieve high marks, Kristin uses much of her free time practicing. She sees Leesa, her equitation coach, every week. Leesa trains Kristin in riding techniques such as good posture. The judges at national competitions look for a relaxed rider who is in motion with the horse but still maintains control by using her legs.

Kristin works with her trainers, Keith and Maureen, every other weekend. Keith and Maureen train the horse to canter slowly and tuck its head.

"The most difficult thing to learn," Kristin says, "are the leads." A lead is the foot the horse steps forward with first. Certain routines require the horse to step out with either the left or right foot.

Up for a Challenge

Challenges aren’t new to Kristin. She was diagnosed with dyslexia after third grade. Dyslexia affects one’s ability to read, making the letters or numbers appear mixed up.

"School was really confusing because I didn’t know why I was feeling so dumb," Kristin remembers. "Other people would understand and I wouldn’t." Looking back, she recalls having a bad attitude because she felt stupid.

Kristin began working with the local Dyslexia Resource Center tutors who helped her learn to decode words by breaking them down. They practiced spelling words into a sand tray, writing them in the air and learning how to blend letter sounds together to make words. She met with tutors twice a week after school for nearly two years.

Kristin has made good progress. The tutors have taught her ways to cope with the dyslexia by understanding her learning style.

Kristin has learned to use her time wisely, especially when school is in session. In order to do well at school and in her hobby, she has a plan.

"Most of the time I try to get my schoolwork done first," she explains. "But when I’m feeling overwhelmed, I go out with the horses. I come in later to do homework." She also meets with a tutor after school to get help with homework.

Sometimes schoolwork keeps her from riding, but she still has to do her chores. "I don’t like it when that happens!" Kristin declares.

Even though Kristin understands she has a learning disability and has strategies to cope with it, she still gets frustrated. Other students usually finish their schoolwork before she does. But her struggles with dyslexia have taught her never to give up and to rely on God.

She has memorized Philippians 4:13: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Her advice is to count your blessings and remember the things you do well.

"You should always think about the positive and not the negative, even when it’s hard," Kristin says. "Rely on God, not on the circumstances."

The electrolytes revived Aldebaran. God had answered Kristin’s silent prayer.

Filled with thankfulness, she entered the arena just in time to compete for the national title. Following the competition, all the horses and riders formed a straight line in the main arena. A hush settled over the crowd as everyone waited to hear the judges’ decision.

Applause broke the silence as the announcer congratulated the reserve champion from Michigan. Kristin’s heart skipped a beat! Her mind raced. But her number wasn’t called.

The announcer continued, "Winner of the Stock Seat Equitation National Championship, also from Michigan, number 510 Kristin Hamway riding PA Aldebaran, please trot forward." Applause rang out. Kristin beamed. Like so many other times in her life, with the odds against her, she had come out on top.

What About Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is not caused by lack of intelligence, nor is it a disease.
Those who struggle with dyslexia have difficulty reading, writing and spelling, even after much practice.
Famous people with dyslexic traits include Hans Christian Anderson, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein and Leonardo da Vinci.
Since many who suffer from mild dyslexia are never identified, they may be described as "lazy" or "slow." More severe cases are even called "learning disabled." These incorrect labels perpetuate the feeling of failure. Dyslexics are not stupid—they are generally highly creative—but they do learn differently. Multi-sensory learning, which combines seeing, saying and doing at the same time, helps people with dyslexia pick up concepts more quickly.

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