Playing it Safe? Or Standing Tall w/out the “Safety Wires”

Horse Camp- circa 1984.

My parents were practical, didn’t like animals in the house, or much else “messy,” but they did give in to my passion growing up… horses.

I’m an introvert. Yea, I know! But I’ve never been timid in taking chances and pushing the limits. And that year, I did… the only one of my group who did, in fact. Wow, I was the “star” at horse camp ;-)

I met my horse two weeks before and we had become “people.” I’d fed him and cleaned his hooves and learned proper saddling. But that day. The last day of camp, I flew. It was a pure “canter” with him.

Sitting on his back while he trotted around the ring, with ALL the parents watching made me freeze, and I couldn’t breathe. But I focused on the sound of his hooves hitting the dirt in perfect synchronicity while he circled on a long lead round and around.

At 14, we were naïve. We were wannabe gymnasts, doing “tricks” on the backs of our beloved horses. And we were riders.

We had a different concept of the term "falling."

Not sure how I made it up, that day. But I’ll never forget me standing on his back, arms open wide, while he ran in circles, which seemed like a million times... while time stood still.

Magic.

I’ve thought about that “scene” many times throughout my life and wondered how I mustered up the courage, when no one else would. Perhaps it’s why I called my company what it is today.

It felt like I had wings. And it is something I wanted and want to feel EVERY day.

So the key?

Know your horse. Believe in yourself. And make that one BOLD move from sitting on the back of the horse to JUMPING up to standing, with your arms wide open, going for it and soaking in pure sunshine!