Professional Lifestyle Behaviour
Recognize the Signs: Is Your Horse as Happy as It Should Be?
Laura Sofie Krebs
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Behind almost every rider, there's almost always a mother who supports them in one way or another. We have the competitive mom, the caring mom, and the eager mom – and whichever one you've had behind you, they've undoubtedly given you things that you will be able to use for many years to come.
Pia has daughters, Camilla and Clara, who have been riding all their childhood. Together, they have seven horses that need to be cared for. Camilla and Clara have just gone to Val Thorens for a ski vacation with their high school friends, leaving Pia at home with the horses and the family’s two dogs.
It's cold outside, but that won't stop Pia from taking care of the horses. They need to be taken out and in, have their blankets changed, their legs washed to prevent mold, and the stables need to be mucked. Some of them also need their blankets changed for the night, so taking care of the animals is an all-day project.
Pia gladly does it because she was the one who advocated for the girls to start riding back then – and how wonderful it is that they have kept at it for so many years. “Better to smell of horse than of hash,” she thinks to herself as she tries to wheel the fifth wheelbarrow of manure out to the dung heap. Unfortunately, she loses her balance, and all the manure lands on the stable floor again. She sighs quietly as she picks up the shovel and starts scooping again.
“Tomorrow,” she thinks. “Tomorrow the girls come home, and I get my life back – at least then we can manage things together!”
A message pops up on Pia’s phone. “Hey mom! We won a competition to stay a couple of extra days. Is that okay?” A bunch of heart emojis follow the request, and Pia smiles. Her usually so dutiful daughters are out having fun and forgetting the horse world for a while – she can handle the extra days.
“Hands up! Heels down! Toes forward! Come on, you can do it!” Dorthe yells from the barrier, watching her daughter ride around in fine dressage. She stands with her café latte in one hand and her iPhone in the other, checking where they can go for the next competition.
“Did you see you can go next weekend? Do you feel ready? Of course, you’re ready!” she says eagerly as Sofie walks by the fence.
“I feel okay ready,” Sofie says, taking off the new Kingsland jacket that Dorthe just bought for her. Her new leather riding boots shine in the sun, and she already looks polished and ready for the competition in her gear. Only the finest is good enough for Sofie.
Since Sofie was little, Dorthe has been focused on what the two of them would do together. They were to reach the top, and they were to have fun while doing it. She is sometimes asked if it's her own or Sofie’s dream, but she has no doubt. And neither does Sofie, really. They both greatly appreciate the bond and the friendship that the horses have given them. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better mother-daughter relationship.
“Come on! Faster! Support! JUMP!” Charlotte half-shouts, and as she yells jump, she herself buckles at the knees and gives in. Her daughter Malene is on the track, and it's hard to say who it is more nerve-wracking for. The team or Charlotte herself.
Charlotte is always ready on the sidelines when Malene is riding. She knows more about the competitors' past results than she does about next year's school schedule. She’s ready – she loves the competitive atmosphere, and she loves the smile on Malene’s face when things go well for her.
“Come on... Take it inside... Come on!” Malene chooses to ride around the island with decorations, thereby adding a few extra seconds. It results in a third place, but a clean and secure round.
“Why didn’t you take it inside? There was plenty of room!” Charlotte asks her daughter, while lovingly placing a hand on her knee. “I tried, but I just didn’t have the right feeling,” explains Malene.
“In the next round, you can...” Charlotte begins, but Malene tunes out. She already knows what she will do. Sometimes it can be tough having a mom who always has an opinion about the ride. Malene looks around at the other participants and sees how the other mothers just look down at their phones and check Facebook or Instagram.
Maybe she's been lucky with her mom after all.
