Whoopsie. Photo courtesy of Michael Willham.
I’m just going to steal this bit of wisdom from Michael Willham, who posted this on his Facebook page yesterday, because it is honestly so apt. Every day when I go to the barn, I’m reminded of this truth as I pick stalls and pull manes and spend just five more minutes massaging that poll.
If you ever want to find true enjoyment and satisfaction in horses, read this:
You have to enjoy the journey.
Enjoy the grind.
Enjoy the teeny tiny little baby steps.
Enjoy the challenge.
Enjoy the process.
Enjoy the setbacks and the steps forward.
Because 99.999% of horses is always going to be about the journey. The destination is *maybe* 0.001% of the time. Winning that competition, or maybe getting competent at a certain level. Sometimes the destination never comes. Riding can be a frustrating sport. Because even when we are on top of our game, we still need another living creature to also be on top of their game. Sometimes those stars align, and sometimes they don’t. So you have to enjoy and value the journey, because you never know if, or when, you’re ever going to get to the destination.
U.S. Weekend Preview
Carriage House Farm Combined Test (Hugo, MN) [Website] [Entries]
Essex H.T. (Medford, NJ) [Website] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring] [Volunteer]
Genesee Valley Riding & Driving Club Spring H.T. (Geneseo, NY) [Website] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring] [Volunteer]
GMHA June H.T. (South Woodstock, VT) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
IEA Horse Trials (Edinburgh, IA) [Website] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring] [Volunteer]
MCTA H.T. at Shawan Downs (Cockeysville, MD) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer]
Ocala Summer H.T. I (Ocala, FL) [Website] [Entries] [Volunteer]
Poplar Place June H.T. (Hamilton, GA) [Website] [Entries] [Ride Times] [Volunteer] [Scoring]
The Spring Event at Archer (Cheyenne, WY) [Website] [Entries / Ride Times / Scoring] [Volunteer]
News From Around the Globe:
The equestrian world can seem, and is, very white, so what is the industry doing to become more accessible and inclusive? After Khadijah Mellah made history in 2019 by becoming the first British Muslim woman to win a UK horse race, brothers Oli Bell, Phil Bell and Naomi Lawson (all of whom had worked on the documentary, Riding A Dream that had followed her story) wanted to create a lasting legacy for the sport. They decided to set up the Riding A Dream Academy, which would help other young people from diverse communities get involved in racing, thereby helping to make it more diverse and inclusive. Thanks to the Racing Foundation, the academy now runs four programs that are all aimed at young people aged 14-18. [Riding A Dream Promotes Diversity]
In the fall of 2014, a sway-backed gelding sitting in an auction in Washington sold for his price-per-pound at $500. 2,400 miles away in Anchorage, Alaska, Amy Brassard made the necessary arrangements to get her new dun Quarter Horse from the lower 48. With shipping and quarantine and vaccine, the process took about a week, and when the hauler called Amy, it was not with good news. She reported that she wouldn’t be surprised if he dropped dead upon arrival due to his starving state of being. He didn’t, and of course with a name from Frozen, Sven went on to be Amy’s horse of a lifetime. [From Rescue to Ribbons]
Best of Blogs: Crunchier But Wiser
If you’re like me, you love the thoroughbreds, but also acknowledge that they’re not for everybody. Horse Nation blogger and trainer Aubrey Graham explains it in her most recent article. “Thoroughbreds can be tough. Hell, all horses can be — of course they can. But I have found that this breed, perhaps more than others, will encourage folks to mosey into one of two camps: “horse people” or “people with horses.” And if you see a fit, happy, good-footed Thoroughbred, sure, some of it might be luck. But somewhere in its lineup of caretakers and humans, that horse probably has a “horse person” in its corner.” [Making Better Horse People]
