Growing up, I was always obsessed with horses. I wanted nothing more than to have a horse of my own and show him in competitions and win those beautiful ribbons you always saw the Olympic riders with. I began riding when I was eight years old and since then, I have ridden at multiple barns and have ridden many different horses. When I was a sophomore in high school I was lucky enough to have some of my dream come true. My parents surprised me one day by telling me that my mom’s coworker wanted to lease her horse out, and that I was going to be the girl leasing him. I was so beyond thrilled to finally have a horse, (at least half mine), and it has been one of the best experiences of my life. Leasing Schickte really brought me into the world of horseback riding, and there are 16 things I’ve learned that only true equestrians would understand.
1. Horses will spook at anything and nothing.
2. You’ll find creative ways to not fall off.
3. Waking up at 4:00 A.M. to go to a horse show becomes a normality.
4. At the same time, staying at shows until 10:00 P.M. is equally is regular.
5. Walking through a tack shop is like a kid walking through a candy store.
6. You’ve definitely pretended to be a horse and jump over all the jumps in the ring.
Maybe not on her level, but you know what I mean.
7. The feeling of disappointment you get after your horse rolls around in dirt after you just cleaned them before your show.
8. Scrolling through for sale ads online and wanting every horse you see.
9. When you don’t pay attention to your horse and they start going through everything to find that peppermint you promised you’d bring.
10. Trying to get a perfect selfie with your horse is one of the most challenging things ever.
But your 1,000 tries are totally worth it because you end up with something like this.
11. When your horse puts their head in your lap it is a moment you will cherish forever.
12. You get easily annoyed when people say horseback riding isn’t a sport.
And it takes all your strength to not yell in their face that IT MOST DEFINITELY IS A SPORT AND NOTHING THEY SAY WILL EVER CHANGE YOUR MIND. I mean, YOU try sitting on an animal that weighs at least a ton and try to make them jump over a 3 foot fence.
13. You have dreams of riding your horse on the beach.
14. And when that finally happens it’s one of the best days of your life.
15. Horses really like to show you how disobedient they can be right in front of the judge at shows.
Yes that is me riding Schickte, and yes I broke the jump with the judge directly to my right.
16. Your horse becomes your best friend, and you wouldn’t trade them for anything in the world.
Horseback riding is something that I think most riders hope to be a part of in some way for their whole lives. I know that through my 12 years of riding, I can easily say that horses are some of the most magnificent creatures known to man, and it’s a community I always want to be a part of.
