I could watch this 33 second video of Trilogy "playing" with my sons a thousand times, and it would never get old. Never.
Moments when I'm exhausted and exasperated and wishing I could just ride my damn horse but can't because I have to watch both kids/it's 107 degrees/it's raining/I'm sick/one of the boys is sick/hubby has to work late/I have to work late, I will look at this and remember there is more to the joy of owning a horse than riding them. Much more.
Trilogy is a blue-blooded Arabian. He is a Nationals-quality (read: best of the best of his breed) and it shows. Ana was a very nice Arab, but Tril has been my education in just how different two members of the same breed can be. He. Can. MOVE. Ho-lee-CRAP, can he move. The only reason I am able to own a horse of his quality is Lumpy McTwitch has ugly splints on both of his front legs and his knees (more specifically, his upper suspensories) can't take the workload that getting a Nationals-quality horse ready for Nationals requires. He was often sore, and after a few years, the decimal place in his sellable value gets moved a few times to the left.
Having a horse of that quality, I feel obligated. I can't just let him sit! I can't just do the trail! I can't just work him on the ground! I can't just putz around walk-trotting in an arena! I need to Learn How To Ride A Class A Arabian! I need to take lessons with an Arabian show trainer! I need to get him in the showring! He needs to reach that full potential! AAAAHHH!
No. He's a horse. He's my horse. He's a goofy, sweet, curious, friendly, twitchy, lumpy horse. He plays with jump poles, turns on sprinklers, pops "unpoppable" Jolly Balls, drags mounting blocks inadvertantly left in an arena around, and rips off splint boots not sufficiently doused in some sort of foul-tasting deterrent.
His is a horse, not a vehicle of achievement. Relax, putz around on him when time allows and enjoy him, let him enjoy himself, let the boys enjoy life at the barn, and celebrate the wonder of owning a horse, no matter what color his blood may be.
And watch the video again.
I know exactly how you feel! I have a picture of physco mare snuggling my daughter as my computer desktop for these exact reasons. :)
ReplyDeleteMy life became so much easier once I realized that my only obligation to my horse was to keep him happy and healthy. My horse doesn't care about his talent or his ribbons or what he "could be". He's just happy to be loved and cared for.
ReplyDeleteOnce I let go of my "obligation" to move him up the levels, and the stress that goes along with that perceived "obligation", I was able to move him up the levels quite easily. Funny how that works...