05/13/2025
Boyd Martin recently said it best: āYou have to learn to be a really good loser in this sport.ā He couldnāt have been more right. And itās not just about losing at horse shows. You have to get good at losing everythingāyour clients, your best horses, your coach, your business partners, and sometimes even people you once called friends.
Some losses are expected. A student graduates and moves on to college. A client loses their job and has to make hard financial decisions for their own well-being. Youāve brought along an incredible horse that was always meant to be sold, and now itās time to send it off to its next rider.
But then there are the hard losses. The gut-punches. A sudden injury. A horse taken unexpectedly. Friends and clients deciding to take paths that no longer include you. And when you lose that oftenāthings youāve poured your heart, soul, finances, trust, and emotional energy intoāitās easy to start losing faith.
For me, the hardest losses have always been the horses. Whether planned or not, temporary or permanent, those partners we give so much of ourselves to donāt get to choose their paths. So over time, Iāve learned to guard my heartāboth with horses and with people. I hesitate to put too much hope into the future or speak aloud the potential of something special. Instead, I focus on the present. I try to find joy in each moment, in each ride, in each day.
Right now, I have two mares in my string who are each extraordinary in their own way. And though I donāt like to admit it, Iām secretly, deeply excited about what kind of fire they spark in my soulāand what their futures might hold. For now, they get extra cookies, extra scratches, and some quiet moments hand grazing. I remind myself why I started this journey in the first place: because I just love a horse.
If youāre in a season of joy, soak it in. If youāre in a season of loss, know that your love for the horse is still your guiding arrow.
