Getting into horses can be intimidating, but it’s not impossible. 

Over the course of my 32 years, horses have played a key role in my life. Most people who are embedded in the horse industry come from families that were also involved in horses, but with my mom being a gymnast and dad loving to surf, no one expected me to have wild passion for horses. 

But, from the time of my earliest memories, I remember being slightly obsessed with horses. I grew up in the wooded acres of the rural, one blinking light town of Poetry, Texas. When I was little, we didn’t have horses but many of our neighbors did, and when I turned 5, my parents got me some riding lessons with a woman named Deborah who lived down the road. 

The first day of lessons, Deborah took my sister and I straight into the barn and introduced us to a chubby, flea bitten gray mare named Sibil. It was love at first sight. At that very moment my little 5 year old heart knew the deep truth to Winston Churchill’s famous quote:

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

Sibil immediately became my new best friend, but looking back, the thing I am most grateful for is that Deborah didn’t even let us get on a horse at our first “riding” lesson. Instead she insisted that before getting the privilege of riding, we must first learn the joy of caring for our equine companions… so Deborah sent us directly to muck out Sibil’s stall. Then we learned how to water her, we learned about feeding her and about how important a proper diet is for the health of these wonderful creatures. Even though I didn’t get to ride that day, I didn’t want to leave. And ever since that day,  a barn or arena has been one of my favorite places to be. 

The next week we showed up, Deborah met us and said something like “Girls, today you will get to ride!”

My sister and I were ecstatic.

Then Deborah added, “after we care for Sibil first” as she encouragingly handed us both rakes and nodded over to Sibil’s stall. 

I imagine most kids may have been annoyed that they had to work first, but over our time with Deborah, my sister and I learned a deep respect for horses and an appreciation for the holistic nature of owning a horse, not just the joy of riding, which we both grew to love deeply. 

It’s very important when looking to jump into the horse industry to get to know experienced people and glean wisdom from them, to learn to care holistically for the animals, not just to get our own needs met through them. I personally think horses are capable of teaching us even more than we teach them, but these kinds of things can only be accessed when we choose to lean into learning about how to love them and care for them first and then let the joys of riding or whatever discipline you choose be the icing on the cake. 

Action steps:

If you are ready to take a new step in your equine journey, below are a few ideas on what you can do to get to the next level.  

  • Self-starter education
      1. If you’re just getting your feet wet in the journey, youtube can be a great resource. There are many incredible horsemen that have channels dedicated to horsemanship, horse training, beginner education, and more. 
  • Lessons
      1. Lessons are a great way to start learning more about horses. By putting yourself in close proximity to an experienced horseman, the myriad of things you can learn are endless. One thing I will add here is that finding a mentor is extremely helpful. Some things in horsemanship are “caught not taught”, meaning just by being around a mentor or someone a few steps ahead of you, you can “catch” things that you may not be able to absorb just by watching a video of someone teaching on youtube or elsewhere. 
  • Some things to learn before buying a horse
          1. General barn/facility care
          2. Cleaning stalls
          3. Learning what makes a complete equine diet
          4. Hoof care
          5. Worming schedules
          6. Coggins testing
          7. Best practices for equine safety 
          8. Dental care 
          9. Water care and general equine hygiene
          10. General veterinary needs (i.e. vaccinations, injections etc.)
  • Buy your first horse 
    1. When you feel ready and you’ve sought some counsel from a teacher or mentor, it may be time to buy your first horse. This time can be so exciting but it’s important to slow your mind down and know exactly what kind of horse you’re looking for. Build a list that becomes like a filter as you are looking for your horse. It could included some of the following topics:
      1. Age 
      2. Training level
      3. Temperament 
      4. Experience
      5. Soundness
      6. Location
      7. Breed
      8. Genetics
      9. Personality 

Easy access to great learning opportunities without the fear of doing it wrong.

TNT Stables provides boarding to people who are passionate about horses, no matter their experience level. Wherever you are at in your journey, we are here to help you take the next step with confidence. 

If you are located in the central Texas or Waco area, we would love to help you. 

We’d love to meet you and show you around our place!

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