Are you giving up on your horse or moving on?

I have lots of calls and emails from folks wanting advice on how they should handle a horse situation.  This is the question many people want me to answer for them. Do I need a different horse?

Should I get a different horse?

I am going off-topic for a second but I feel this has value. 

Recently my son started taking flying lessons.  The first lesson the instructor gave him was that he is the pilot.  He makes the decision on whether to fly or not and no one can make it for him.  If he feels wrong about the plane, the weather, his personal life, or anything else.  DON’T FLY!!!

Well, I thought about this applying to my own life.  When I was a young man I had a horse that I had problems with.  An old cowboy friend of mine told me that I was the pilot and if I wasn’t going to drive I was going to crash. 

Pride should never be a factor in your decision or you will crash sooner or later.  When you are going to ride, you have to be the pilot.  If you feel you can’t be the pilot, then it is time to consider a different horse. 

It doesn’t cost any more money to feed a horse you love to ride than it does to feed one you can’t trust to ride.  Now I am not saying that if one gives you a problem that you should just get another horse.  I am saying if you truly feel you can’t and will never be able to trust the horse you need to make a decision.  In this case, you need to find one you can. 

You can love your horse but you can’t fear your horse. I want to encourage all of my readers to “BE THE PILOT”

See You In The Saddle – Ryan