10/24/2025
I preach this often 🙌🏼
“Horses Are Like a Pack of Cigarettes”
Sherry Cervi said it best: “Those horses are like a pack of ci******es. One day you’re gonna run out of runs. You better enjoy it while it lasts.”
That one hits deep. Because when you really stop and think about it — every run we make is one less we’ll ever get back. Every pattern we run takes a little more from that horse we love so much. As owners, as riders, as parents — it’s our job to protect them, not prove something through them.
Before you enter that second class or just enter into another race, ask yourself — is it really worth it? Are you doing it for the horse, or are you doing it for you? Because at the end of the day, those horses don’t get a say. They just show up with heart every single time and give us everything they have. And sometimes, we take that for granted. I know I have.
I don’t think most people mean harm. I don’t think it’s always negligence. I think a lot of it is just being uneducated — not realizing that wear and tear adds up, that running twice on the same ground, in the same conditions, isn’t always fair to that horse who trusts you. We get caught up in the excitement, the pressure, the need to be seen or the want for one more check. But it’s our responsibility to slow down and think long-term.
If you’re a parent, sometimes protecting your child’s future in this sport means telling them no — that their horse doesn’t need to run twice today or every weekend. That one good, solid run is better than two that might take something away down the road. Because these horses carry our dreams. And they can’t tell us when they’re tired, or sore, or just plain overworked. It’s up to us to listen before it’s too late.
So let this be a reminder — one day, that last run will come. You won’t know it’s the last one until it’s already over. So make the choice, every day, to preserve them. To honor their heart. To protect their legs and their lungs like they’re gold — because they are.
Winning means nothing if your horse is broken to get there.
You can always find another show, another buckle, another rodeo —
but you’ll never find another heart like the one waiting for you at the trailer. ❤️
Picture is one of the last runs on my mare, and I didn’t know that one would be one of her lasts. 🥺🖤
📸 | Rebecca Beatty Photography
