Crystal and Cookie

In the past 2 years, I learned more about the world and more about myself than any other time in my life. I thought of this when I read this quote from Mark Twain:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Here is collection of what my horse experience taught me.

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1. Travel light. You can get by anywhere with a change of clothes, a toothbrush and some deodorant. Depending on the company you keep, deodorant is even optional! You can buy anything you need on the road. Every town has a Walmart… (except Germany .

2. Performance horses have to be maintained. I wish I knew THEN what I know NOW with Cook.

3. Vets and farriers are your best friends. Find one you like and stick with him/her. When things go wrong, TALK TO THEM. I have 2 exceptional ones with – Dr. Fernando Cardenas and Loren Griggs. Both have tolerated my tears, discussed each of my horses’ issues at nausea, and tried anything and everything to keep them sound and healthy. I know this isn’t possible in every situation, but my vet and farrier communicate with each other.

(on a personal note: Loren shod Cook for years. When Meredith told Loren about Cook passing, Loren said to his assistant… “She ain’t never gonna stop crying.” It meant alot to me because there were so many people, friends even, who never understood my love for her… but my farrier knew. He knew.)

4. You can still eat an un-opened bag of Doritos found on the floor of the trailer for lunch, while stuck waiting for stallion collection AND NOT catch any major illnesses.

5. No one is happy in the horse world. You might disagree with me, but hear me out. No one is happy who is consumed by this life. When you are consumed by this life, it’s a business of the latest horse, the latest funding, and the latest win. There has to be balance. No matter what I do in life for an occupation, I will have an outside life going forward. I will take days off, sleep in, go out with friends…

6. I have learned to travel long distances…. I can drive long distances day or night. I can read in the car without getting carsick. I can figure out any mode of public transportation, including metros, buses, trains…

7. Even the bad times will turn into good memories…. or at least, good stories. Puking all the way to Kentucky after catching a stomach bug at the barn. Police giving me bad directions in Germany. Shivering in the car, completely soaked, after Devon flooded with rain. Each time… I was miserable.

However, every story now brings giggles.

8. Accept people on who they are by what they show you, instead of what you want them to be. It is dangerous to put people on a pedestal…. they have that much further to fall when you put them up that high. Regardless of a person’s status, whether it be social class, skill, celebrity… they are just a person. With Flaws.

Most of the time, major ones.

9. Think 10 steps forward. Be prepared for the consequences of the decisions you make. More importantly, THINK about the consequences before you act. One of the greatest sayings when dealing with kids, horses, and significant others is PICK YOUR BATTLES.

10. BE KIND TO GROOMS! I will never hand my horse off to anyone again without being the most gracious person. I will never get frustrated at anyone’s language barrier. Regardless of how the person ends up in the country and for what length of time, it is hard, hard, hard to be in a foreign country.

11. The Concept of ‘home’ is different for me now. Home is being surrounded by people who love you, who make you laugh when you feel like crying. Home is your horse whinnying to you when you have been absent for months. Home is my cell phone ringing “Sexyback” as its ring tone. Home is calling my best friend and telling her to meet me down the street for a drink. Home is Birdie snuggled next to me while I sleep. Home is calling Eric and using him as my personal GPS when I’m lost. Home is where people accept you for the person you are, and are loyal when the chips are down. Home is people telling you “welcome back, we missed you. We need you here.”

Home is a concept, not a location.