Merchlyn Forge

14/11/2024

Not far from my home is a field with two horses. At a distance, they look like any other horses. But if you stop and take a closer look, you’ll notice something remarkable. One of the horses is blind, yet his owner didn’t have him put down. Instead, they gave him a good home, which is remarkable in itself.
If you listen closely, you’ll hear a bell. Searching for the source, you’ll see it’s attached to the halter of the smaller horse in the field. This little bell guides her blind friend, helping him know where she is so he can follow her.
Watching these two friends, you’ll notice how the smaller horse checks on her companion, and how he listens for her bell and slowly follows, trusting she’ll lead him safely. Each evening, as she heads back to the barn, she pauses occasionally to look back, ensuring he’s close enough to hear her bell.
At times in life, we are like the blind horse, guided by the gentle bell of someone placed in our lives. Other times, we are like the guide horse, leading others on their path.
Good friends are like this. You may not always see them, but you know they’re there. Please listen for my bell, and I’ll listen for yours.

09/07/2023

17/02/2023

Don’t over complicate it....

There was a time when you were just happy to ride, happy to be in the company of horses. It didn’t matter if you could execute a perfect lead change or jump double clear rounds. You were just happy to have two feet in the stirrups and ears leading the way.

You didn’t care about having the best tack, the coolest boots, or the newest hi-tech breeches. An old ex-racehorse, your favourite, and wearing a worn out pair of jeans with a colourful t-shirt did the job just fine.

You didn’t spend the days between Christmas and New Year planning a heavy schedule of training sessions, clinics and competitions. You threw tinsel round your pony’s neck and went hacking with friends. The new year was just another 365 days to go riding.

Don’t forget that you started this sport because you loved the animal. You loved the rush of galloping across open fields and the serenity of watching horses quietly graze in the sun. You do this because there is nothing on this earth that makes you feel more alive than being on the back of a horse, so don’t overcomplicate it.

Enjoy the little things, because one day you will look back and realise... they weren’t little at all.