08/08/2025
Commitment: For Better or Worse
Sometimes I wish more people approached horse ownership the way you’d approach marriage, for better or for worse. When you choose to bring an animal into your life, it should be with the understanding that you're in it for the long haul.
If I had given up on my horses because of career-ending injuries, setbacks, or challenges, I wouldn’t be where I am today. They’ve taught me resilience, patience, and what real partnership looks like. They are not machines. They won’t always move like they did years ago, and like us, they need care, maintenance, and time to heal. Every single horse owner I know has dealt with lameness, time off, or injury. It’s not a matter of if, it’s when.
But that’s the beauty of it. It makes you appreciate the good days so much more, the moments they feel great, a new path forward, career, the small wins, the victories you worked so hard for together.
Owning a horse means being all in. If you're not ready for that, it’s okay, there are other ways to be involved. Take lessons, lease, volunteer, enjoy horses without owning them. But please don’t expect perfection from a living creature when you’re not perfect yourself.
Horses are not disposable. They’re a lifetime commitment. Just like any meaningful relationship, they deserve loyalty, care, and love, even when things get hard. 💛
