Remember to Forget

The biggest part of being a good horse owner is simply realizing what your horses really need. The small things that mean the least to you are likely the things that mean the most to them.

Remember that they don't really care how fancy and expensive the saddle is that sits on their back, and they don't care if their saddle blanket is new, so long as their old one was comfortable. They couldn't care less if their halter matches their blanket, or if their tack is all oiled and shiny. They aren't going to be embarrassed to drive up at a ride or a show in a trailer with a little rust showing. They don't care if you wear designer jeans, or where you bought your boots. They probably wouldn't notice the difference if you showed up naked. They only notice that you showed up. They don't notice if their tack is dusty or worn or old or mismatching. They only notice that the hands that fasten that tack to their body stops working occasionally to pat them. They don't care if your hair is brushed or that you have on no makeup. They only notice when your face has a smile for them.

Don't get so caught up in horse ownership that you forget about the horse. The most important thing to remember when you own a horse (or any other animal for that matter) is to focus on what really matters. To them! Forget what the neighbors might think if you ride by their house on a horse with a pink striped halter and red plaid blanket. Stop caring so much about whether other saddle club members are going to say if your tack is a little dusty. No matter how busy you get, remember to spend quiet time with your horse. Work with him often so you continue to be a team, and remind him that you are his best friend.

They say the best way to learn to train a horse is to first learn how a horse thinks. Once you've done that, all the matching tack in the world won't matter to you, because you'll realize what is truly important. The welcome post when you join Yahoo's "Healthy Horse" E-Group packs a lot of thought in one line in the sig file "A horse doesn't care how much you know, but he does need to know how much you care"

We're busy here getting the horses moved into winter pasturing, so my posts may be a little shorter and not as sweet for a while. Am impending tax audit for the stable certainly isn't adding any time to my schedule. Please send positive thoughts this Friday. *shivering*