All about the horse
As horse people, we focus a lot on the people part of that. We talk about all the amazing things that horses bring to us, how they enrich us, how they ground us and make us better. However, I want to highlight that our interactions with horses is also and more importantly about them.
You need to make time to focus on what is good for your horse, what will make their life better, what can you improve about you to be better for them.
This is a PARTNERSHIP and a RESPONSIBILITY.
Having a horse is a LONG TERM commitment, it is not a puppy a for Christmas that you have to 'deal with' for a decade and move on. Horses live a LONG time and require special things to make their lives positive and whole.
I get asked a lot - Isn't having a horse expensive? How can you have a horse on the cheap?
Yes it's expensive and you can't do it cheaply. It is either expensive or very expensive. With that said I will tell you that it is still always less expensive than I feared and now that it is part of my daily life, I find it more doable, more manageable than I ever thought I would be able to. Keep in mind though, that I went into this with the full expectation that I would make this work. I had no
intention of not being successful at making time and funds for this, I knew it would be a challenge and it would take a large shift in my life, but it was something I wanted with a single minded focus, so I made it work. If it is not your passion, if it is not something you want bone deep, finding a way to make it work may not be possible for you. You have to be realistic and you have to keep in mind your actual limitations. Not just your financial or time limitations but also the things about your personality that limit you for this activity. Will you actually drag yourself out of bed when it's 110 degrees or when it's 10 degrees to get yourself to the barn on a Saturday morning? Or are you only going to go when you're free and it's nice out? Are you willing to rush to the barn at a drop of a hat because something went sideways and your horse needs you, or your horse friends need you? Are you willing to be all in to the life that comes with horses or are you wanting to sort of visit that life when it's convenient? Neither is right or wrong, but you have to be honest and realistic with yourself, you have to make choices that actually work for you and work with your life.
You also have to know that the time you spend at the barn is enriching for you and is vital for your horse. You have to visit your horse, you have to bond, you have to work together, you have to train together and you have to grow together. There is no right or wrong timeline for all that, no right or wrong order of steps, but you have to do it, you have to put in the work.
Why?? Why do you have to keep up your horses' daily education?
Because they live a very long time and often they go through several owners in their lifetime. No one wants a horse that is half trained, that spooks at their own shadow, that doesn't stand for a ferrier, that doesn't know how to follow simple commands.
If you do not put in the work, no one else will and you run the risk of your 'baby' entering the slaughterhouse chain. Yes, that is harsh, but dammit it's true. If you LOVE your horse, be good to them. Having them is not about bragging rights, it's not about saying you have them, it's about being there, giving to them and preparing them for their life while they help you manage your own.
Every interaction with them is a learning opportunity for you and a teaching moment for them. Everything you do teaches them something, work to make sure you are teaching them good things for them to know, good habits for them to have. The older and more trained the horse the more likely you can get away with not being on your game 100% all the time, the younger or less trained and the more your mistakes make an impact that could cost that horse a great deal. Having a horse is fun and a very positive thing but it is also serious business. Treat your horse well, not just feed them well, but train them, be consistent with them and give them a solid foundation for the rest of their lives. Remember everything you do with them will affect them for the rest of their days.
You need to make time to focus on what is good for your horse, what will make their life better, what can you improve about you to be better for them.
This is a PARTNERSHIP and a RESPONSIBILITY.
Having a horse is a LONG TERM commitment, it is not a puppy a for Christmas that you have to 'deal with' for a decade and move on. Horses live a LONG time and require special things to make their lives positive and whole.
I get asked a lot - Isn't having a horse expensive? How can you have a horse on the cheap?
Yes it's expensive and you can't do it cheaply. It is either expensive or very expensive. With that said I will tell you that it is still always less expensive than I feared and now that it is part of my daily life, I find it more doable, more manageable than I ever thought I would be able to. Keep in mind though, that I went into this with the full expectation that I would make this work. I had no
intention of not being successful at making time and funds for this, I knew it would be a challenge and it would take a large shift in my life, but it was something I wanted with a single minded focus, so I made it work. If it is not your passion, if it is not something you want bone deep, finding a way to make it work may not be possible for you. You have to be realistic and you have to keep in mind your actual limitations. Not just your financial or time limitations but also the things about your personality that limit you for this activity. Will you actually drag yourself out of bed when it's 110 degrees or when it's 10 degrees to get yourself to the barn on a Saturday morning? Or are you only going to go when you're free and it's nice out? Are you willing to rush to the barn at a drop of a hat because something went sideways and your horse needs you, or your horse friends need you? Are you willing to be all in to the life that comes with horses or are you wanting to sort of visit that life when it's convenient? Neither is right or wrong, but you have to be honest and realistic with yourself, you have to make choices that actually work for you and work with your life.
You also have to know that the time you spend at the barn is enriching for you and is vital for your horse. You have to visit your horse, you have to bond, you have to work together, you have to train together and you have to grow together. There is no right or wrong timeline for all that, no right or wrong order of steps, but you have to do it, you have to put in the work.
Why?? Why do you have to keep up your horses' daily education?
Because they live a very long time and often they go through several owners in their lifetime. No one wants a horse that is half trained, that spooks at their own shadow, that doesn't stand for a ferrier, that doesn't know how to follow simple commands.
If you do not put in the work, no one else will and you run the risk of your 'baby' entering the slaughterhouse chain. Yes, that is harsh, but dammit it's true. If you LOVE your horse, be good to them. Having them is not about bragging rights, it's not about saying you have them, it's about being there, giving to them and preparing them for their life while they help you manage your own.
Every interaction with them is a learning opportunity for you and a teaching moment for them. Everything you do teaches them something, work to make sure you are teaching them good things for them to know, good habits for them to have. The older and more trained the horse the more likely you can get away with not being on your game 100% all the time, the younger or less trained and the more your mistakes make an impact that could cost that horse a great deal. Having a horse is fun and a very positive thing but it is also serious business. Treat your horse well, not just feed them well, but train them, be consistent with them and give them a solid foundation for the rest of their lives. Remember everything you do with them will affect them for the rest of their days.
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