After all this time I couldn't put off having an outlet myself regardless of the expense associated with one. I just had to decide what it was I wanted to do to take my mind off work and home. Something that would require me to focus and at the same time provide fulfillment.
When I was younger my Mother put me in Horseback riding lessons. I've always remembered how much I enjoyed it and how I never wanted it to end, but it did when I sustained a knee injury. (not horse related) I was surprised at how much I retained through the lessons all these years (theory wise)So I started researching my options and was invited to a friends house to go for a ride on some horses he owned to determine whether I was in fact still interested and I was. From there I looked into taking lessons and weighed the pros and cons. Then I looked into leasing and weighed those pros and cons and finally I looked into what it would cost to buy a horse and board fees (what options boarding provided and what the expenses would be)
Lesson's were expensive, they were one hour a week and there were no guarantees that you would get the same lesson's horse each week. You were provided with an instructor a horse and all the tack needed. Any additional riding would cost extra and would still require an instructor to be present. Again if your horse was different during lessons, although it made you a more versatile rider, you didn't have that bond or connection you worked to develop.
Leasing was expensive, you were assigned certain day's and times throughout the month. You may, or may not be provided with the tack for the horse. If you bought your own saddle and tack you had to make sure it fits right and that isn't easy and may only be good for that one horse or breed. More times than not leasing did not include an instructor or trainer - that was extra. The lease could end at any time again breaking the bond you create with the horse. It seemed I would be paying the boarding fees for someone else horse but wouldn't actually own the horse. The better trained the horse the more you paid (for green riders) and depending on the owner it could be quite intimidating if they were particular about how the horse was ridden and if you were to send mixed signals etc - all the work they put into it (which I can understand). The benefit of leasing is that you do get the same horse each time you ride without the long term commitment.
Buying, there were quite a few options, different breeds, ages, levels of training and prices. If you took your time and weren't looking for a specific breed that was trained to win competitions then there was quite a bit to work with. The downside of owning is you are responsible for farrier, vaccinations and any needed Veterinarian care. The benefit, you get to know your horse, can ride it in between lessons as many times as you like at no additional cost (if you felt safe and definitely not alone) and you didn't have to worry that the horse would change during lessons or someone would be agitated with how you ride 'their' horse. Plus, there is the potential or opportunity to RESCUE a horse in need.
Boarding, we looked at numerous boarding facilities that ranged in price. Price would usually cover checking on your horse 2 - 3 times daily, access to fresh water, either pasture, paddock or stall board and price depicted whether or not you had an indoor arena on site or outside round pen. Some places covered the Farrier and Vaccine costs in the monthly board. It could be relatively inexpensive if you stuck to the basics and opted to do as much as you could yourself or could get really expensive if you chose things like stall board with daily turnout and grain feed or if the facility boarded expensive Jumping horses and had 24 hour on-site Ranch hands. (barn helpers/assistance that lived on the property) Location was another factor, close to the city or in the city.
Instructors/Trainers, we found that the price of basic training or lessons ranged between $30 and $35 an hour and most would come to you providing you had your own horse, tack and place to ride.
So in the end after doing the research and coming across a beautiful well broke Gelding for a more than reasonable price buying one was the best way to go. No additional stress of the possibility of ruining someone else's horse ( I would never intentionally do that) and something amazing to look forward to.
There are so many benefits to riding and interacting with a horse that I can't begin to explain or this blog would be even longer than it already is. But, there is an old saying(s):
"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a Man" ~ Winston Churchill
"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle" ~ Winston Churchill
Meaning that working and interacting with the horse relieves stress, tension and relaxes nerves by occupying the mind and appreciating the natural communication between horse and rider through body language.
Plus, I've been able to work with my dog on basic commands much easier now just by being better or more aware of my body language. I no longer use words when I want him to do, or not do something - instead I click or shhhttt. He seems to understand this a lot better than "come this way" or "hey, no don't do that"So although this started as an outlet/hobby or interest for me it has turned out to be one for my husband as well. Having provided for him the opportunity to interact with Eli, without pressure, to see how and if he would enjoy it.
Did he? Well we now have Ella so turns out he does quite enjoy it and really respects and admires the beauty and power of Horses. He's also taken up an interest in photography and is quite good at it. All three of the pictures in this blog post were taken by him ~ Bonus!
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