With every horse comes an opportunity...

Have you ever been in a rut? Just can't seem to climb out of that hole that you felt you hit rock bottom on? Or have that horse that no matter how much time you put into them they just can't seem to get it or things just don't "click"?  It can really take a toll on us as riders; making us lose interest, our passion.  It can make your frustration grow which in turn takes it's toll on our horses.  This is never a good combination with horses and has no business in the saddle. We've all been there, myself included many times.  

I've been so frustrated before that I was ready to sell one of the nicest horses I've ever had because she presented a challenge to me that I just felt like I couldn't work through.  I was ready to hang it up, sell them all.  I was throwing myself a pity party.  It showed in the horses I rode, in my barrel racing, in my attitude towards life in general...I was at a pretty all time low with this particular horse and it sure carried over into every aspect of me.  I've worked most of my life to better myself in the saddle.  Horses were my life and it was something that I strived to be better at every day.  It consumed me and when I hit that low it felt like what I'd worked so hard for all that time was for nothing.  

I remember one night lying in bed praying to God to help me find some sort of direction, that obviously this wasn't what I was meant to be doing.  I had tried all that I knew and I just wasn't good enough.  That next morning when I went to the barn I can not explain the new feeling that I had.  The strength, the freshness of my mind and the new found determination.  The Lord whispered in my ear, you have a lot left to learn. 

This horse was put in my path for a reason.  She made me grow in ways that I can't explain and she presented a challenge that pushed me beyond my limits. I've had many horses that have made me think "outside of the box" and when I started to think about all the things that I've learned from each and every horse, I realized that no time is wasted in the saddle if we keep an open mind and we learn something.  Each and every horse that I've rode has helped me develop my riding, my thinking, and my style.  I've gotten better with each horse, my horses that much more prepared - more solid.  Even though not every horse has made it into a barrel horse for a variety of reasons, I've always learned something from them and have put it to use on the next horse.  

We all have dreams for our horses, goals that you have set in your mind, etc. Since the majority of horses I work with are just prospects, I spend most of my time trying to mold that horse, unlock the promise that individual has into a top barrel horse.  We spend countless hours to achieve this goal and the end product takes years to make. Truth be told, not every horse is going to make it as a top barrel horse and many you won't know until you've already put in years of work.  There may come time where you come to a point with a horse that you feel like I once did, defeated.  However, don't let that sense of defeat get you down.  That horse may need to go down a different path than you had desired for it, but as long as you have learned something from it and are willing to use that for the next time you swing your leg over a saddle, that time was never wasted. You can learn something each and every time you sit in a saddle, halter a horse, or just by just brushing him. 

You may learn what to do better for that next horse or you may learn what not to do, but regardless of what it is, never stop learning.  If you open up your mind and eyes to your horses and your heart to God, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish in the end. 

The challenge that I almost gave up on, who in turn gave me more than anything than I could have ever imagined! She  continues to challenge me, making me grow and learn every day I get to ride her.  She's a one in a million!