We humans can easily get caught up in worrying about what other people are doing or thinking, and horse people are no exception.

We see someone else doing something with their horse and think, maybe I should be doing it like that, even if what we’re doing is working great for our horse, or sometimes even if it feels wrong to us. Or on the other side, we think, what they’re doing is wrong, I simply must tell them so.

But why should we do either?

Our own horse is the one who matters. Watch and learn from others at every opportunity, of course, but always filter that information through the lens of your own horse. What’s right for another horse or situation might be completely wrong for your horse. Someone else’s experience isn’t the same as yours and that’s okay.

And that means that just because someone is doing it different than you would, it doesn’t automatically make them wrong. And even if you’re convinced they are wrong, you telling them so isn’t going to change their mind, so you’re better off to walk away and focus your energy on yourself and your own horse instead.

The same goes for worrying what others think. I have to remind myself all the time when I get a mean comment on Facebook or YouTube, that strangers on the internet aren’t the ones who matter, my horses are. I know that they are happy and healthy. I know that they are keen to learn and love what we do together. And I know that what I share has value for someone else and their horses too – it doesn’t have to be for everyone.

People suck sometimes, but if you stay focused on your horse instead of the noisy world around you, both you and your horse will have a much better experience.