“A horse is the projection of peoples’
dreams about themselves – strong, powerful, beautiful – and it has the
capability of giving us escape from our mundane existence” ~Pam Brown
I started working with Cody
after she retired from the racetrack and began living at a breeding farm, she
was definitely not ready to retire and proved too much to handle without having
a job to do. I knew very little about horses and riding then so the both of us
learned a lot together. When Cody lost her foal she had a lot of issues with
trusting people, she was scared and not very willing to co-operate. We got her
out of that place and into a quiet training barn closer to where I lived. I was
determined to make her into something special and together we built a bond that
will never be broken.
As
an adult amateur, I realized long ago that I wasn’t going to the Olympics. And
that was fine. I am happy doing what I love, riding my horse for fun and
working towards goals I set for myself along the way. Sometimes though, the
pressure catches up to me. I feel like I should be riding better, jumping
bigger. I get frustrated because I’m falling behind the others and I worry that
I’m not doing Cody justice. What if she could be better without me? What if I’m
holding her back?
Last
week, I was having a particularly rough ride. Cody wouldn’t go straight, at
all. She was perfectly content to trot around the ring with her body on a
complete diagonal, tossing her head around. We fought and struggled for an hour
so I managed one lap of the ring without holding her straight. I patted her and
put her back in her stall, having accomplished what was needed, but frustrated
with how long it took to get there.
The
next time I went to the barn I decided to just relax, take a break and enjoy
the ride. I’m happy to report that my mission was accomplished. I got to
breathe in the beautiful summer air, galloping around a beautiful grass ring
that I had all to myself. And, wouldn’t you know it, Cody was perfect. No more
trotting on a diagonal. No more struggle. She was perfectly happy to do the
work when we weren’t at odds with each other. I got a chance to enjoy my
riding, to remember why I work so hard and love it so much.
Whenever
life or the pressures of riding is stressing me out too much, I go sit in my
horse’s stall, listen to her soft breathing, and let the smell of hay and
shavings bring me back to my happy place. For that time at the barn, I can
forget about all the nonsense and stress. As I pick shavings out of her tail I
think “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here”
Sarah Ann is 23 years
old and spends most of her time in the saddle or cuddling her chinchillas! She was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. Sarah is a proud animal advocate in helping those without a voice to find the love and care
they deserve. She works at an animal shelter and enjoys helping out the Canadian
Chinchilla Rescue, they help abused and unwanted chinchillas in the area.
If you
would like to donate or check out their website: http://canadianchinchillarescue.webs.com/
Where to find me:
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