I've been riding and working with horses since elementary school. I attended lesson starting at the age of seven or eight, and since then, I've bought my own horse and got a job taking people on rides over the summer. Despite the large (and I mean large) time and money commitment horses require, I learned several life skills just from being around horses.
1.Patience and Determination
These two skills are completely necessary when working with horses, especially stubborn ones. You have to know what you want, and you must have the determination to get there, but also the patience to teach your horse how to do what you want. It's a fine balance between the two, and it's a balance that is equally helpful outside of the equine realm. In school, at work, or just in life, having the determination to do something, but the patience to see it through is quintessential.
2. Work Hard
No matter what anyone says, riding horses is tough. Not only that, but all the care besides is grueling especially in the summer heat. Horses work hard too. Where I work, our horses have to heave people up hills several times a day without complaining (although many do complain), but at the end of the day, it's all worth it. Working hard is the only way to reach success, and the more times you climb up that hill, the easier it gets.
3. Never Settle for Less
When working with horses, there is a policy that you should never settle for less than you desire. If you let your horse get away with one thing, that opens a door to a whole world of bad behavior. Settling for less makes your horse lose respect for you, and, in turn, you won't reach your goal. I've developed this philosophy in my life outside of horses, in fact, one of my greatest fears is having to settle for less. I don't want to achieve anything under what I intend to and for that, I must work hard too.
4. Language Should Never be a Barrier
If you think about it, horses speak an entirely different language than people. They talk using body language, not their voices. Even then, that language can be one that is hard to interpret. As humans, we don't force horses to speak our language, instead, we learn theirs. We know that ears pinned back means anger, and licking lips is content. We learn and then use their language to communicate with them. Of course, we teach them to ride with our own terms, but even then, it's all developed through their voice first. This is used in life too, when language is a barrier, there are ways to get around it. Body language always seems to work.
5. Actions Speak Louder than Words
This one goes along with the one above. Body language can say so much more than words. By learning how to interpret body language, I've found it easier to understand humans and how sometimes our words don't match up with our true feelings. Much like horses pin their ears back or lick their lips to show their emotions, humans use body language to show how they truly feel. You begin to see and understand why people keep their head down, their hands in their pocket; why they might make eye contact with everyone they pass. Body language gives everything away.
6. Silence can be Deafening
This is probably my favorite quality of horses, they don't talk! You all know that I'm an introvert. Nowadays, we've coined the term "awkward silence" to be one of the worst things that could possibly happen between two humans. I'm an advocate that no silence should be awkward, but it should be embraced. Two humans that can be together in silence are truly bonded and trusting. I think it's okay for conversation to lull and for humans to be together quietly. It allows for us to listen for body language better and not to mention its intimacy. A human who does not hide behind their voice is really revealing a visceral part of themselves that wouldn't be seen otherwise. I love silence, I thrive in the lack of voice. That's probably why I like horses so much.
7. Always Get Back in the Saddles
Just like John Wayne says, “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” Now, this can be used literally as well as metaphorically. They say every time you are thrown off a horse, you must get back in the saddle. If you don't, the horse will always know how to get you off. Think about it like the horse is a metaphor for life. If you let life beat you while your down, life will always know how to keep you down. You've gotta be brave, take life by the reins, and tame it just like a horse. That's where patience and determination come into play as well.
8. It's Okay to be Different
Now, this one has less to do with horses and more to do with me. I am and always will be the crazy horse girl at school. I've been obsessed ever since I knew what a horse was, and that made me the oddball in school. I think I galloped around the playground until middle school, when I finally got a horse to really gallop around on. Boys are always warned not to go for the crazy horse girl; apparently she will ruin your life and clean out your wallet. Not to mention she might always love her horse more than you. I didn't date anyone until my junior year of high school, and I haven't been with anyone since. It's a combination of refusing to settle, and the fear that once I reveal my liking of horses to any boy, he will run away screaming. I might be different, but hey, that's alright. I embrace it now, who cares. At least I'll always have a horse if I never get a boyfriend.
9. Know When Rest is Deserved
After working hard all day, there is nothing quite like taking a break. However, there's a science to knowing when rest is deserved. Rest can become a plague if given too readily, and the whole "work hard to get what you want" thing is thrown out the window. At that point, life already bucked you out of the saddle. Besides, rest always, always feels better after a long day's work. Horses know this. After doing three rides a day in the summer heat, our horses cherish grazing saddle-free in their paddock. Naps always feel better for me as well :)
10. Enjoy the Little Things
This last thing is most important. Always take time to enjoy the little things. Stop to smell the roses here and again and you will realize how fortunate you are already. If you've ever brought a horse a carrot, you know how excited they get. But think about it, a carrot is just a little thing in this world, there must be something else worth getting thrilled over. Yes, but sometimes those things are few and far between, and we should never get discouraged for not experiencing something tremendous every day. There's a ton of small pleasures in the world, try not to look over them.
