It’s natural – you want to be a good Mom, a good partner, a good employee, and a good horse owner. These may shuffle in order on any given day, but nobody sets out to do a lousy job taking care of their kids or their horse.
Here is a simple 5-step checklist to help make sure you’re doing all you can to be the owner your horse deserves. I’ll give you a quick overview and dive into the first item on the list today and then expand on each of the other 4 over the next few posts. So let’s take a look at that list!
- Know your why.
- Be self-aware.
- Be clear with your communication.
- Be realistic about your goals.
- See the change you want to be (visualization).
1.Know your why. I wrote a bit about getting clear on your why in this post. I shared a bit about why my time with my horses is important to me and some promises I’ve made myself. Knowing your why can be simple – you ride because you love to compete in horse shows. You own a horse because you have a lot of love to give, and you found a rescue that needed a safe home. Perhaps you’re planning a 25-mile trail ride – whatever your goal for your Horsey Life – getting clear on your why is where to start.
Here are a few things to consider.
- What type of activity would you like to be involved with – riding? driving? showing? caring for a horse without wanting to ride? There are no correct answers, but finding the ones that apply is important.
- What is your schedule like?
- What is your financial situation?
- If you’re looking to step into an ownership role for the first time, where will you keep your horse?