Many of my former students have gone on to fulfill their dream of horse ownership and I love receiving updates about their horsey endeavors. While my role, often at the beginning of their equine experience, is relatively small; my goal is to share information and skills that will help them make informed decisions with regard to horse ownership and management.
There are also many other folks who participate in my program, who make the decision that horse ownership is not for them after all - at least not at this time. I consider those folks a success as well. Better to make that decision before getting involved with a horse, only to discover it is way more of a time and financial commitment than they bargained for.
As an experienced horse owner, I naturally steer all beginners to the older, well trained horses. A solid minded, well trained horse will often fill in for a beginner who is bound to make mistakes along their horsemanship journey. Having said that, I have seen folks buy an older horse that didn't end up being a good match for them; and I have seen young horses that have turned out to be great horses for their beginner people.
For me the joy comes from hearing stories of folks who are enjoying their horses - uninjured and unafraid. Some folks have made the painful decision to part with a horse they thought was good for them, but simply wasn't working out. The good news is that they recognize when it isn't working before something terrible happens.
So to you folks having fun with your horses - you make what I do so much more fun! Thank you for sharing your joyful updates and photos. I know we all have good intention to keep in touch; but we horse people know that any precious spare time is spent with our horse.
Enjoy our beautiful fall weather. In my opinion, this is the best riding season of the entire year.
Tovie & the "Boys"
