Menu
How would you categorize your life with horses? As an action-packed adventure, a tear-jerker film, or a never-ending drama series? Most horse owners or those who share a horse can relate to the fact that owning a horse isn’t always a walk in the park. Life with horses comes with a host of worries about things that happen, might happen, or may never happen.
Read also: Honouring our differences
Buying a horse is buying into a world of worries. Many horse owners can certainly nod in agreement with that statement. We can spend countless hours with furrowed brows, sleepless nights, and knots in our stomachs. Whether it’s because our horse is injured, we fear getting hurt ourselves, we’re anxious about a specific situation, or we’re just unsure about how our four-legged friend is feeling.
Even though it might not be something we openly discuss, those of us with children at home often find ourselves more concerned about our horse than our kids. Perhaps it’s because we don’t live with our horse and can’t keep an eye on it all the time. Or maybe simply because our horse can’t tell us how it’s feeling.
As horse owners, we spend a lot of time focused on our most treasured possession. Even when we’re not at the stable. Owning a horse isn’t just a hobby; it’s more of a lifestyle. Many of us see our horse as a friend, one we want to care for.
One of the worst things that can happen is if our horse becomes ill or injured. Many of us lie awake at night worrying about what we can do, how long the horse will be unwell, when we can start working with it again, and whether it’s in pain or feeling down.
One of the most challenging aspects of these situations is the helplessness we often feel, with limited options to help our horse directly. This helplessness can often intensify our worries and drive even the most seasoned horse owner to the brink.
A sad expression, a change in behavior, reluctance—these can all set off alarm bells. What’s wrong, and what can you do? Is the horse unhappy with its paddock mates, the pasture, the stall, the gear, or the training? Numerous theories can swirl in our minds as we observe our horse in its daily life.
It doesn’t take much for all sorts of diagnoses and potential scenarios to pop into our heads if we get the slightest sense that something might be wrong.
You probably know the feeling. You put the blanket on the horse the day before and then head off to work. During the day, the weather changes, and you check the forecast multiple times to monitor the temperatures. If you’re lucky, someone at the stable can help by changing the blanket. Otherwise, you’re left sitting on pins and needles, trying to ignore the fact that your horse is either overheating or shivering. As soon as you’re off work, you rush to the stable to make your horse comfortable.
Taking on the responsibility of a horse is enormous. Do you know enough, are you doing well enough, and are you doing enough? Does the horse like you, and are you training it in a way that is optimal for its mental and physical well-being? What if you’re not skilled enough?
Worrying about your own abilities is also a part of everyday life with horses. And the glossy images on social media often don’t help boost your self-confidence. There’s a lot to live up to, and it’s easy to become worried and lose heart.
Fortunately, life with horses is filled with deep emotions, amazing experiences, and magical moments. It’s what keeps us faithfully driving to the stable, fetching the horse from the muddy field, tending to its wounds, and spending significant amounts on boarding, vets, farriers, dentists, lessons, shows, and equipment.
But the worries, they are inescapable. They are simply part of owning a horse. Perhaps we really should have an association where we can share our concerns. Or maybe it already exists? In the stable, in Facebook groups, and among horse friends.
Read also: Controlling horse parasites with ruminants
