A woman who is a very prominent trainer in our area has sent several of her horses and clients horses to me both for lay-up and retirement.  When she was visiting a month ago she asked me why I did this.  She stopped me in my tracks.  I had to think, which I try to avoid, why do I do this?  Good question.  I hesitated a bit too long and she said, “because you love this, that’s why.”

It started me thinking, really, why do I do this?  I certainly don’t do this for the money.  Nor do I do this to make a name for myself.  I’m 71 years old and I don’t need to be unloading 1000 lbs. of grain.  I don’t need to be out there treating an eye ulcer every four hours.  I don’t need to be body slammed by a horse.  So then why don’t I just retire and enjoy the rest of my life?

Probably because I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.  Bobby would like to sell everything and go live on a boat cruising from place to place.  Going north in the summer and south in the winter.  That would get old.  I need to be dirty.  I need to look out across the pastures and see the horses grazing, napping, or just being horses.  I need to have a purpose beyond walking the dog in the morning with a pooper scooper.  Besides even if we get a mega yacht the horses would be bored (storing hay would be a problem with the salt air) and the Catahoulas would wreak havoc on the place.  I would like to do it for a few weeks to a month like we used to. Not take the horses, just go away on the boat.

I loved teaching.  I loved, really loved Fox Hunting.  I guess when I used to show I liked that too, but why does anyone collect and take care of geriatric horses if they don’t totally love what they are doing?  I certainly haven’t had time to ride lately.  But what I used to get joy and comfort out of was just grooming and spending time with them on a one to one basis.  Fussing over them.  Haven’t had a lot of time for that lately.  I really need to look at my workload and priorities.

So why do you do what you do?  No, really?  Are you in it for the money (not in the horse business), the love, the glory, or the satisfaction?  Do you just do what you do mindlessly?  Are you even aware of what you do?  Are you really aware of why you do it?

It’s winter, it’s cold, it’s a good time to think, and remember why we do what we do.  We do it because we absolutely love the glorious, gorgeous, animals who have our hearts.  If you don’t feel that way I think you need to rethink why you do it, and take up another sport.

Horses are a spiritual thing, they capture our hearts and our souls, and that’s why we do it.