What horses have taught me.

My horses over the years have taught me many things; not just how many times in one day I can possibly be wrong but the good things as well, how to love something like it’s your baby. They’ve taught me how to handle criticism (it’s still an ongoing issue,) and probably the most important of them all how to handle everyday tasks while highly inebriated. Yes, having my horse at university with me has taught me to care for a living thing while still rather drunk. Taking inspiration from not only my years with horses but by friends also, I have composed a small list of the things horse have taught us.

Number 1: Organisation

Organisation is key to owning any horse, but, if like myself you still seem to lack organisation as a skill, you will find yourself turning up to shows without some vital part of equipment. This has come in all shapes, a hat, a bit, a girth a pair of boots, or a horse. Yes, you know organisation is at an all-time low when you turn up to a Pony Club rally without your pony, a crime my friend is guilty of! Slowly over the years, however, and especially when I came to university my organisation has gotten somewhat better. During my recent exams I found myself leaving pens, paper, my laptop, clothes and make up out for the following day, something I like to think owning a horse has helped with… and possibly my mother.

Number 2: Time Management

Getting up early and doing the thankless task of mucking out in the morning has allowed me throughout the years, to get more stuff done throughout the day and the master of waking up early at sleepovers (sadly not the master of the all-nighter.) However, I’m still not great at judging how long I’ll be at the yard. Telling my friend I’ll be there in an hour when in reality ill turn up after the event has finished, with the only excuse being “well see the thing is I got chatting to so and so at the yard then Nina schooled really nicely so I just kept going and well now we are hear.” Your friends though slowly start to not accept this as your excuse and soon your only real excuse is “I’m late because of who I am as a person” something my friend Rachel knows all too well.

Number 3: Enjoy Life

When I started asking around friends, what horses had taught them, one replied that they had taught her to make everyday things more fun. The task of mucking out, no one likes that very much, however Kate proceeded to tell me that she had named her wheelbarrow Paul and that she talks to Paul during her daily routine. She then carried on explaining how she now counts strides into obstacles, mainly escalators. Another aspect of life she has allowed horses to overflow into, and one she is very proud of, is matching her clothing choice to her saddle cloth colour. I think enough has been said on this life lesson.

Number 4: How many times in one day you can possibly be wrong

This, can span from underestimating your horse, which I do constantly to just being plain wrong (like a woman I’ve been told, I still don’t see that.) You think you have the correct stride, your wrong, you think you are going to pass that river, ditch, scary shadow, you are also wrong. However, underestimation can sometimes bring some lovely surprises. Finding out your horse can half pass, or what you thought would be a disastrous schooling lesson is in fact going really well. This has inevitably taught me respect, respect for your half ton animal.

Number 5: Finally, and most importantly- loving something like your child.

When asking around all my friends, one thing remained constant. They all loved their horses like they were their children; missing them when they weren’t there. Horses come with all sorts of baggage, not to mention the hit your wallet takes, early mornings, sacrifices and the lingering aroma. The upside to this, however, that beats all others is watching the hard work pay off. Watching what is essentially your child grow and develop. No one really warns you about the attachment it just sort of comes, one minute they are an article, a bit of paper and the next you’re weeping as you stand and watch them leave, going off to their summer home.

So I suppose, in conclusion horses have taught me an awful lot, its just whether you chose to listen. I’m still working on a lot of things

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