Letting Go
If you’ve been in horsemanship for a while, you start to learn the not so fun lesson that things rarely go as planned. Both our horses and ourselves are living creatures with complex lives that can take environmental, emotional, and physical U-turns at the drop of a hat. These U-Turns can totally rearrange the trajectory of your goals. Whether it be a horse going lame before a sport show, a family member in the hospital, KY flooding, or…. a coughing pony (dammit Cookie!)
It’s moments like these where we get creative and try to fight to get back on track. But sometimes, there is also a moment when we have to let go. Let go of our goals and dreams and sit with the sad feeling of some doors closing. We have to make the tough choices and phone calls. When we make these hard choices, it’s always for the sake of the welfare of the horse, human, and/or greater good of the community. As honorable as that can be, it doesn’t mean it’s pleasant and that’s why it’s so easy for folks to fall into the trap of not doing it, even when they should.
However, letting go of some goals doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth it. The late nights practicing, the moments with your friends, the PROCESS. Every moment leading up to that “U-Turn” can be of value. A source of joy, of learning, and connection with our horses and community.
And letting go doesn’t mean you have to give up. Sometimes, you can take the U-Turn and pivot.
By now, you are probably realizing I’m writing a pep talk for myself, just as much as anyone else. Due to some pony health concerns, we were not able to attend the Midwest Horse Fair. As sad as I have been, I am letting it go. And with the help of my most amazing hubby and partner, Terral, and our dear friends and colleagues, Mackenzie and Cameron Durbin, we’ve made this video to celebrate our performance that wasn’t.
Finally, a huge thank you to the ILHA for the opportunity to compete in the freestyle competition, even though I wasn’t able to take part. And thank you to our dear Toppur Icelandic Horse Club team, who had to carry on the Icelandic demos without us. To the show that wasn’t and the moments that happened instead - cheers!