Horses Make Great Teachers, Here’s What They’ve Taught Me

We all know that horses benefit us in so many ways. They’re our friends, our partners, our therapy, but they also make great teachers. Horses can teach us a lot, they are large and powerful animals… but also have kind hearts and gentle souls. I’ve learned a lot of things from horses, some good, some bad. Here are the most important of the lessons they have taught me.

1. Respect is earned

By owning mares who work like athletes, I’ve learned that they also have the attitudes of one. You can’t just show up and expect to boss them around, it doesn’t work like that. They need to feel respected by you in order for them to reciprocate, Tess especially has made me learn this lesson. Flicka works best when I back off and let her work, I only offer her guidance when she needs it instead of telling her what to do. Tess forces me to be patient and let her figure it out, or she will become anxious and blow up. I’ve also realized this also how I, a person, is throughout my daily life too. I don’t like being yelled at, I don’t like being told what to do in a way that’s harsh or degrading. Applying the attitudes of my mares to other people, has let me be more respectful when asking others to do something. It has also taught me not to take disrespect from others either, if they want me to do something, they can ask respectfully. I earned respect from my mares by showing it first, they returned the favor. I’m only human though, so when I get frustrated with them and temporarily lose my cool, they copy. When I respect them, they respect me. When I disrespect them, they disrespect me. That’s the dynamic, that will always be the dynamic.

2. It’s okay to take a break

The horse world, and the world in general, is demanding. It’s day in and day out of hard work, commitment, dedication, ion, and so much more. It can be overwhelming sometimes, especially if you’re showing pretty much every weekend like I am. I have multiple practices every week, and I usually throw in at least one other ride as well. I have two horses that I use regularly, and need to make time for both. I have a job, and school, plus other responsibilities and priorities that I also take care of. Point is, life is hard, having horses is hard. Being an equestrian while also just living everyday is stressful, so it’s okay to take breaks sometimes. If your horses get a few days off from work while you focus on yourself, that’s fine. If you take a day off from practice and just go for a trail ride instead, great. If you don’t enter a show one weekend to spend some time at home and recuperate from the week, go for it. Just like our horses, our bodies and minds need breaks as well. We need to take care of ourselves in order to take care of horses to the best of our ability, that’s just a fact. If I had a hard week and take some time to just relax, it puts me in a better mood to work with my horses and also other people. If I just spend time with my horses without working them, it grows our bond and makes me happy. So, it is perfectly okay to take a step back sometimes. It could actually benefit you and your horses.

3. Sometimes, things don’t go according to plan.

I’ve had my fair share of down barrels or classes that didn’t give me the results I wanted, I’ve even had whole weekends or multiple day shows that didn’t have great success. By far though, the worst time has to be when Flicka got an abscess that took her out of work for months. This was a curveball that tested my patience, mental health, optimism, and my faith. I was forced to take Tess to all my competitions while Flicka was down, when I had just initially was going to use her for just a few classes here and there. While trying to prepare Tess, I was also dealing with Flicka’s situation. The mental toll that took on me was something I do not want to go through again, as I think I cried more than I had in my life throughout that time. I was stressed trying to get Tess ready in time for our competitions, stressed trying to get Flicka healthy again, there was stress everywhere. After a high of a year with Flicka, I had to make a complete 180 and change my focuses. It was rough, the only things that got me through were my family and friends, Tess, and my trust in God’s plan. Which leads me to my next lesson…

4. You must be able to overcome

Let’s face it, horses are challenging, life is challenging. We all deal with a lot of stuff we’d rather not, conflicts, fear, grief, depression, anxiety, insecurity, stress, you name it. It’s a part of life, especially when you own horses. You can’t let struggles or inconveniences affect the rest of your day, week, month, year or life. You have to learn how to handle them with grace and patience, as hard as it may be. When I was in tears every day, dealing with Flicka’s situation, trying to get Tess to a point where we’d even have a shot in the show ring, blaming myself for all that went wrong, feeling like I was falling behind and had something to prove, all while I still had to go through life pretending that nothing was wrong and that I was just fine. It was day after day of my body getting sore from trying to get Flicka to just stand still and keep her foot in that damn water, watching my dad nearly get stepped on or my mom nearly get bumped into, praying that it would be the last time we had to do this. It was months of thinking she was finally okay, just for her to go lame again. It was weeks and months of trying to hard with Tess, only to fall short and feel like we got nowhere. That all the work we had put in was just wasted, and that I had failed as a rider and teammate. However, I kept pushing forward, with the hope that the next day would be easier than the last. After months of trying to stay positive and keep going, it worked. Flicka recovered, Tess continued to improve. Now, Tess has achieved so much and Flicka is even better than she was before. I learned that patience is rewarded and how to overcome struggles, I used them as motivation and determination to get to where I am now, both as a person and with my horses. That wasn’t the first and it won’t be the last time I face challenges, but now I know how to overcome them, and that God does indeed have a plan.

5. Don’t take anything for granted, ever

Being able to live the life we do is a blessing and privilege, everyday that we wake up and every night we go to sleep is a gift. I recently watched one of best friends get bucked off her horse, she had to be transported to the hospital by ambulance. I didn’t know then that she was going to be okay, it was hella terrifying. Knowing that she will be fine now and that things could have been way worse, it reminded me of the risk that we take living the life us equestrians do. Every time we swing a leg over our horses and we both come back safe is a blessing in itself, the success and opportunities we receive are all extras that God has kindly offered us. Horses are unpredictable, life is unpredictable, things could happen at any moment. That’s why every day before my head hits the pillow, I thank God for everything I have, as it could all be taken away. I am very fortunate, and I do recognize that I live a very good life, which is why I am so grateful for it. Everyday that I am able wake up is a blessing, and every breath that I am able to take is a gift. Never take anything you have in life for granted, because the good things are gifts, and the bad are valuable lessons. The people, the animals, the roof over my head, everything that I have are all things that I will never not be thankful for. that one day everything could disappear, so be grateful for all the days you get.

Thank you for reading this very long, very sentimental, very emotional, very personal post. I hope you guys enjoyed it.

See you next time!