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"Life is not about standing on the right coloured carpet. Go and Buy Your Horse"
These are the words that Peter said to me after another frustrating discussion about renovating our house before - before I got on with what I wanted to do in my life. [Stop talking about it. If you really want to]“Just buy your horse”. And so I did.
By the way it was the most extraordinary 70's carpet, pure wool from Scotland with swirling shapes of gold, mission brown and cream. 12 years later I own 2 wonderful horses and we still have the carpet.
I found him – the most stunning warmblood. Kasperrado Diarrado – now Rad for short. Lucy Horton his owner was busy, hard to catch. However I was determined. My daughter and I arrived 30 minutes early at the beautiful property near Grantville. Rad was waiting in the paddock, looking at us approaching, somehow sensing that his future was unfolding is a startling different way than a young well bred dressage horse might expect! Nuzzling my head he snuggled up. A strong athletic young horse, still a little gangly like a teenage youth - affectionate yet bolshy.
We saddled him up. There was another horse to look at. Lovely animal. Very forward. But not as handsome And definitely not as sweet. Yes Rad was a sweet horse. And extremely mischievous. He was a sociable horse, interested in everything going on around him. Seeking the next adventure, horse and human. Marion rode him. An excellent horsewoman who has fallen in love with Lucy’s horses and I understand why. Stunning lookers, bred to perform and intelligent. Very smart.
Then it was my turn. Confronting to mount him, to ride such a well bred magnificent animal. So smooth, powerful, sure footed. As soon as I was on his back I knew he would be mine. Whatever it took. I dismounted asking “How much is he?” "$10,000". That was it. I said ‘well I will buy him”. That simple really. When it all boiled down to it.
It has taken 45 years for those words to spurt out of my mouth. So many times in my life when I had dreamt of owning my own horse. I was the 10 year old girl whose parents could not afford to buy me a horse. Who spent her life savings going to Ponyland Camp for a week. The desire had never left me.
Before I took my last breath I wanted a relationship with my own horse.
I had to take the risk to fail or succeed. To discover whether I had the athleticism and courage to own and ride a performance horse.
Successful Australian Mature Women with Dressage Careers
I decided to prove the German international dressage coach wrong. The man I saw at the Boneo International Event, the week I bought Rad, who stated that people should stop their dressage careers, at 55.
What nonsense. You don’t have to stop @ 60. What about Mary Hanna ? Our Australian Olympian dressage rider who competed at Tokyo in 2021 aged 65! Or Susan Paix who held the longest standing combination at International Level with her mare Etiquette for seven and a half years.
I hope one day to seek him out and tell him its not for him to tell a person that they are too old. 12 years later I can share my story about a woman who took 45 years to own her first horse and who never let go of her dream. Despite all the obstacles.
And that person, me! finally got to the starting line and said "count me in". I will go the distance. I am going to learn how to train and ride a dressage horse. I am going as far as my horse, Rad can take me. And more. I am going to stretch us. Because I can. Because I chose to. Because as the cliché goes, you only live once.
Life is not a dress rehearsal.
KOR Keep on Riding
I am going to become the athlete required to train and ride a dressage horse. I am going to develop a winning mindset, accept the inevitable setbacks, become a guide, a coach, an inspiration for people who leave it until the autumn of their lives to do what has always been in them from when they were 10.
The essence of who we are never dies, never goes away. KOR – keep on riding. Share the pain, failures, despair, hopefulness that even 45 years later is more sweet, more exhilarating. Sure our bones don't heal quite as quickly if we come off our horse in our 60's. That's OK.
At least we might be able to afford to ride on a sand arena rather than a grass paddock in our mature years.
And some people will come along on the journey with you, share your desire, commitment and joy. If they don't just be your own personal cheer squad. After all it is up to you.
Dr Deb
3 September 2021
Postscript.
Rad died in April 2023. 4 months later I bough Finnigan a handsome black 9 year old gelding trained by Susan Paix. We make our own luck. If we chase down our dreams.
The Equine (EQ) Link
Equine Experiential Education programs can significantly assist people to draw on their unique strengths and attributes and tap into their job crafting and leaderwork capabilities. Equine assisted Team building exercises can enhance this work.
1 January 2024
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