I sold a dressage saddle recently to a lady who imported a warm blood and then realized that instead of doing dressage, she really wanted to trail ride. 

She showed me a short video of this horse, and his talent was absolutely phenomenal. Light and floating on a loose rein in her red sand arena (she lives in the desert).

She said that the more she worked on the dressage maneuvers, the less she was enjoying it. And she realized that she was beginning to look forward to the days when she was out on the trail with her horse instead of in the arena. And pretty soon those days took over. 

I know quite a few people who would comment on what a waste of a beautiful horse that is. But she loves this horse. They have a fabulous relationship. And we all know that horse came here from Europe and probably feels like he won the lottery. 

Instead of enjoying those fluid movements doing specific maneuvers in an arena, his owner is enjoying those fluid movements while she goes out on the trails and explores the world around her. 

I’d been casually looking for a four-year-old who was not yet under saddle, almost 2 years ago now.  Do you know how hard it is to find a four-year-old dresssage prospect who isn’t schooling first or second level already?

It took me a year and a half. 

And then I found my absolute perfect partner. 

Now, we do some dressage work. We do some work in the arena. I have no guilt giving my horse nice long chunks of time off. He’s only five. 

And when I bought him, my intention was to work up through the levels to get all of my dressage medals, and to do everything I could to nail those very specific movements as perfectly as we could. 

The longer I ride him, the more I understand that I have a horse who’s a bit of a chicken. And he would probably like for his life to be contained within an arena. But if I want him to do beautiful things in the arena, I need to give him confidence outside of it. 

He turns six in the spring, and I have decided that I am dedicating this summer to helping him grow bolder.

I want him to experience as many new and interesting things as I can.  I want to trailer in and ride him in new areas. I want to get him out on the trail. I wanna play with some working equitation.

As far as my original timeline with him? That has been shattered to bits. And I let myself mourn that for a little while (he learns fast and could progress SO fast – that was a such a hard thing to let go). I know that the play work that I do right now, and maybe for the next couple years, is going to make him a much better horse the long run.

Don’t ever apologize for not using your horse to their full potential. They don’t know the difference. They know if their tack fits well and they know if they’re being treated fairly. They know if they’re hungry or if they’re well taken care of. 

Our horses become our partners and become our friends and become our sanctuary. Never let the pressure of outside forces dictate what you do or don’t do with that partnership. 

My caveat is that if you buy a performance horse, one able to compete at high levels…they’re gonna need a lot more work and stimulation than an average horse.

Don’t be afraid to pause once in a while and reevaluate what you’re doing and if you’re still having fun. If you’re getting out of your riding what you hoped to get. 

This self-evaluation may mean that nothing changes. This may mean that you end up on a different track entirely from where you thought you would be with your particular horse.  It may help you realize that you and your horse are no longer a good fit, and that your goals no longer align with their strengths, and that it might be time for you both to find a new partnership. Or you may realize that you’re very happy and comfortable with what you’re doing and you’re ready to let go of the expectations that you started with. If something is about to change? GIve yourself a moment to mourn, even if you know it’s the right path forward.

Everything we do in our lives with our horses, at our work, with our creativity, with our hobbies… Most of these are things that can be renegotiated anytime.  Life is short. Find joy wherever you can.

And if you want to take your 6-figure horse on the trails and nowhere else? Good for you. I hope you enjoy the hell out of it. 

~ Jolene