Living the equestrian life for the last 29 years... you could say that I am committed.
Do you ever think back over time, and figure out how long you have been ‘into’ horse? Do you consider yourself a dedicated equestrian? Do you crave more horses in your days, or are you already ‘all horses, all the time’? Has it been worth it? Would you have changed anything about your experience?
I have to admit, I am fully committed. 100% all in. There is no going back. Every day is ‘the day of the horse’ to me. I have dedicated myself entirely to horses. I am a horse girl, to the core. I am consumed by them, I adore them, and yet I still crave more time with them. They soothe my soul when I need it. Watching them gallop, play, leap and launch into the air is eye candy. It makes my heart sing and my soul ring.
When I was very young, I lived in a suburban neighborhood. No one had enough property to keep a horse at home. Interestingly, horses weren’t even on my radar until a family moved in next door, with a daughter about my age and we became friends. Eventually, I was invited to the farm where they kept their horses. Oh, man. I was HOOKED! I was 8 years old, and that was the beginning of the end for me. I learned to ride bareback on scrappy horses, through pastures and woods and dirt roads. Those days were glorious! My friend and I would spend all day riding and doing things with the horses and come back the next morning ready for more. Luckily for those horses, we mostly rode on the weekends, so they had all week to recover from our ‘attention’.
I often think wistfully about those days. Riding horses anywhere we pleased, anywhere our imaginations could take us. And those creative kiddie brains went to many, many places. We would ride on deer paths, and make jumps out of fallen trees and stone walls. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. That old farm has been sold and developed. The dirt roads and woods are long gone.Â
But I have remained steadfast in my desire to live a life fully immersed in horses. I eventually went to veterinary school and started my own veterinary practice, Tampa Bay Equine Practice, located in sunny Florida. As if that wasn’t enough, my creativity would give me no quarter. I dove back into painting and writing poetry. I am somehow, and artist and a scientist. So of course, I paint horses and write about horses. I try to paint how horses make me feel, and how I see their magical energy.
And nearly 30 years in, I never tire of ownership. In fact, I may have ‘too many’ horses, nah, that’s not a thing.
I have my horses at home and care for them daily. My work is 100% equine practice, in my spare time I paint and write horses, and ride them too.
I think maybe I am part horse.
So yes, I guess you could say that I am committed to horses, to serving them, to caring for them, to ensuring their health and welfare, and to committing their incredible spirit to paper.
All this, and I still struggle to find the exact words which accurately reflect how I feel about horses. Maybe I should make up my own word.
What do you think? Is a life immersed in horses your goal? Would you be ok without them? How do they make you feel, all the way down deep in your heart?
I love my total equestrian life, and I am so grateful to the horses who have made me who I am today.
