We put a lot on our horses. Our hopes and dreams. The time and money that we’ve invested in their purchase, training, vet bills, feed, farrier, equipment and show fees.

But our horse doesn’t owe us anything.

Our goals aren’t their goals. They don’t care if we win a championship, they just want to eat grass with their friends, and if you’ve done your training right, play fun games with their human too.

They don’t know what we paid for them, or how much the entry fee was. If we didn’t get our money’s worth, that has nothing to do with the horse themselves. They are what they are, and they deserve the same standard of care no matter what some human decides they are “worth”.

And when things don’t go well, it’s not the horse’s fault. Not ever. Horses can only react the way their instinct or their training tells them to. They never try to ruin your day. I know the days when I feel that my horses are “out to get me” and everything is going wrong, I started out having a difficult day, and the horses are just picking up on my already bad mood and responding to it. It’s not their fault, it’s mine.

Horses put up with so much from us. They’re willing to participate in all the silly things we come up with for them to do. They tolerate our bad days and temper tantrums, our poor timing and questionable training skills. They make every day we’re lucky enough to spend with them so much better.

Our horses don’t owe us anything, but they give us so much.