When you were a child, what did you love about horses? What was it that captured your imagination most about them?

That’s the question I asked as my #questionoftheweek last week in my Facebook group.

The answers all used words like beauty, grace, connection, magic, relationship, gentleness, unconditional love, peace, freedom, and friendship.

Some said it was something they couldn’t put a label on, and others shared beautiful stories about horses being a bright spot in an otherwise difficult childhood.

No one said anything about “being the boss” or “teaching them respect” or “dominance.”

And no one said was because they wanted to win, or because the horse was able to perform a certain skill.

Remember why you loved horses as a child, because that’s probably still at the core of your enjoyment. Don’t let the world take away that pure love of the horse. Put that beauty, connection, magic, and grace first, and you’ll never go wrong.