WELCOME!
Thinking about getting a horse? Eager to hit the trails and horse camp? I share what I’ve learned (and am still learning!) to give you the tools I wish I’d had when I started in horses (as an adult, with little experience and totally overwhelmed!) over a decade ago.
3 TRUTHS I’ve Learned about horse ownership:
#1: there are many paths to success.
There are LOTS of different ways to train, ride and be around horses. Everyone can (and sometimes will!) offer you an opinion (qualified or unqualified, welcome or sometimes not-so-welcome) about what you should or shouldn’t do. Part of your journey is figuring what works for YOU and YOUR horse. I find it best to listen to a limited group of trusted folks until I feel solid enough in my direction to take on additional input.
#2: build
the relationship.
Success with horses depends on a lot of factors: consistency, persistence and resourcefulness, just to name a few. The one factor I keep coming back to is trust. I want to be the kind of person with whom my horse feels safe, relaxed and confident. It’s something I work toward every week. I want a partnership and partnerships take time. They experience ups and downs, great days and yucky days. But it’s an investment that grows with even the smallest of deposits.
#3: keep growing.
Yes, there’s a lot to learn but you don’t need to build Rome in a day or a month or a year! In fact, the horse people I respect most have stayed diligent with the basics but continue to keep an open mind, even decades into their horsemanship. To prevent overwhelm, I try to pick one thing to focus on at a time and then drive at that for awhile. Eventually, the next goal/need/lesson will present itself. Everything is connected to everything.