Much to my surprise, bringing home a new horse has helped me forge a stronger and happier relationship with my old one.
I feel like I am having an affair. Blame it on my recent retirement, or the acceptance of my own mortality, but I was beginning to feel like something was missing in my life. Whatever the source of my dissatisfaction, I allowed my heart to rule my head: I fell in love with a second horse.
On the plus side, my aging heart races when I see him approaching, a white shock of hair falling rakishly over his forehead. I feel younger and more vital, and my friends notice my increased energy.
On the other hand, I feel guilty. I had to change my routine, walking a different route to do my chores to avoid being seen by my old horse, Cleo. Each hour I spend with my new horse is tainted by feelings that I am slighting Cleo, and I spend too much energy justifying my behavior. I have bored my friends obsessing over my situation, trying to validate my decision.
My friends have taken different approaches. One rode her gelding, Cookie, for 26 years, and she never considered getting a second horse until he died at age 32. After searching for three years, my friend decided that no one could fill Cookie’s shoes, and she has adjusted to living without a horse for the first time since she was a young girl.
Then there are those who are never satisfied. I have another friend who, in her search for her perfect partner, adds to her herd every year or so. And she had to buy a new property equipped with an arena and training pens to accommodate her current herd of four horses of varying breeds, temperaments, sizes and genders.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2017 من Equus.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2017 من Equus.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
PROGRESS AND STRUGGLE IN SENIOR HORSE CARE
A study from the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University confirms what many dedicated horse owners have long known: Caring for a geriatric horse with a chronic health condition can be a significant physical and emotional burden.
THREE WAYS TO PREVENT BLANKET INJURIES
Of all the things your horse could injure himself with, his blanket seems an unlikely candidate. But don’t rule it out. Blanket mishaps do happen and they can be serious. Here are three things you can do to avoid them:
PUT AN END TO BARN DRAMA
While it’s impossible to prevent all discord at the barn, conflict resolution techniques can help solve problems, restore calm and enable everyone to enjoy their horses.
The turning point
You don’t always get the horse you want, but sometimes you get the one you need.
A FOREVER HOME
How a Facebook post led to a midnight rescue and an unexpected partnership
Nice work if you can get it
A career focused on horses is not for the faint of heart but the rewards are many and can last a lifetime.
MAKE WINTER EASIER FOR YOUR OLD HORSE
The season ahead may be hard on aging horses in cold climates but with some planning and preparation you can help yours sail through until spring.
7 THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT TETANUS
With modern vaccines and wound management practices, tetanus is almost a thing of the past. But the threat persists, so it’s wise to remember which horses are most at risk and why.
THE FIRST AMERICAN “SPORT HORSE” BREED
The very name of the American Standardbred reflects the performance requirement established at the inception of the breed. Here’s how genetics, conformation and training came together to create horses that could trot a mile in 2:30 or less, or pace it in 2:00 flat.
THE 6 WAYS HORSES LEARN
You’ll be more successful in teaching your horse new skills or maneuvers if your lessons, timing and tasks are aligned with his natural modes of acquiring information.
