For Whom Do You Ride?

Don't ride for other people. It is sad to see so many posts on Facebook and various horse forums that, in one form or another, beg people to approve of their horse, its size, its breed, its weight, its color,its conformation,its pedigree, its movement, its sales price, its stable, its blanket,its feed, its supplements and all of its tack.

Ride for your horse. Ride to give your horse the pleasure that movement and exercise give all living creatures. Ride for your horse's emotional health. Ride to give him confidence and to let him know that as long as you are with him he is in his herd. Ride to let him know that he is not, nor will he ever be, alone.

Ride for yourself. Ride to give yourself the pleasure that movement and exercise give all living creatures. Ride for your emotional health. Ride to gain confidence and to know that as long as your horse is with you you are in your herd. Ride to remind yourself that you are not, nor will you ever be, alone.

Do not march to the beat of a different drummer. Doing so only gives you a different drummer to surrender to.

The key is to not march at all--to walk,run, and rest as is best for you and your horse.