Last year I bought a Brenderup Trailer. If you’re not familiar with them, they are a lightweight trailer that can be towed without a heavy-duty truck. The purchase was not in my plan, but the ability to be mobile without having to buy a truck and only having to beg, borrow, or steal my husband’s Jeep was very appealing. I did a lot of research.
The long weekend in May marked the second horse show this year for Fire and me. The previous horse show hadn’t gone quite how we had planned (see my blog post about it: The C Word), but I was hoping for more success this time around. At this point in Fire’s training, success is getting on the trailer, getting to the horse show, and NOT parting ways while on the ground or on her back. Anything else is icing on the cake.
It’s something every horse owner dreads. The telltale signs are restlessness, pawing at the ground, faster breathing, kicking at the stomach, rolling. It’s the threat that’s always lurking behind the curtain. And it makes us careful. We feed small, frequent meals; provide access to clean, fresh water; avoid working our horse on a full stomach or an empty one; cool out well after a hard ride.
A week away from the first horse show of the year and I can’t help but feel a little panicky. I didn’t get out on any field trips this winter despite buying a trailer and making all sorts of plans to do so. That’s the thing about plans; they’re easy to make, but hard to keep.
Many people around the world observed Valentine's Day in February, the celebration of love and affection. While I don’t particularly care for the day because I think that every day should be a celebration of love, I did want to take a moment to celebrate and thank my “horse husband.”
Nothing can increase your blood pressure quite like seeing missed calls, texts, and Facebook messages from the barn. A while back, I was at work when I looked at my phone, which is always on silent at the office, and saw several missed messages from the barn manager. Fire had gotten herself cast, which unfortunately is a regular occurrence, but this time they couldn’t get her up.
Having a support group when working with a young horse has been a lifesaver for me over the last year and a half. I am so fortunate to have my very own “young horse club” at the barn and we all happen to be bringing along four-year-old horses.
A horseback rider’s lifestyle is very different from that of the average person. When at the barn with your horse, time can slip away and eating is usually the last thing a rider is thinking about. Thinking that you are going to lose weight because you’re not eating but still doing barn chores will backfire. Anytime you withhold food from your body, the body will slow down and prevent losing weight.
Riding is one of the best forms of full body aerobic activity. When in the saddle, the rider’s core is essentially working the entire time. Muscles are constantly firing to keep core stability, core balance, and core support on the horse. I am not aware of one equivalent activity that has the same full body benefits as riding.
The idea of perfection is an elusive one. At least for me, it always has been. And yet my desire to be perfect is still present in all aspects of my life, especially when it comes to horses.
