By Chelsey Burris
As Thanksgiving approaches, it’s a good time for equestrians to take a deep breath and remind themselves of the small things that are greater blessings and boons than perhaps a busy, hectic schedule allows one to appreciate daily. Here are a few things that have us feeling thankful:
- Nobody has pulled a shoe this week! – If your horse did, at least it was only the one. If it was all 4, at least you have a great farrier (who is obviously getting a holiday bonus this year.)
- Heated Buckets – How nice is it to not have to crack through ice to give your horses water on cold mornings? The heated water bucket is the gift from above for all of us who live in the colder regions. Or who hate frostbitten fingers.
- You got all the blankets cleaned/waterproofed and ready for winter! – If you didn’t, congrats about not having to worry about clipping anytime soon.
- Holiday season means (potentially) free gifts for your horse – Sure, you’d love a Disney + subscription and you desperately need new coveralls, but that custom monoflap is crazy on sale and you’ve been so very good this year, which means maybe if you beg and plead enough, your family might throw in together and you’ll be riding in style and comfort come the new year.
- NO. MORE. FLIES. – If you still have some pesky stragglers, at least it’s not for much longer. If you’re in tropic climates, just think of it as trading year-round flies for that extra sunlight in the winter, so who’s the real winner here?
- You didn’t fall off when the horse spooked at that leaf! – If you did fall off, at least you didn’t break anything. And if you broke yourself, well, at least you’re still alive to tell the story.
- Your phenomenal horse family made sure your horse was fed when you were down with the flu – Whether at the barn or at shows, having a supportive horse family makes all the difference. We are eternally grateful for them. That goes for the non-horsey friends too, who don’t understand the obsession, but still good-naturedly lend us their support, and the occasional stall mucking, throughout the year.
- Those stretchy breeches in the bottom of the closet– After all the holiday feasting, stretchy breeches just might be the best thing in your barn wardrobe. Abandon the white breeches until spring show season. Fleece-lined stretchy breeches, it’s your time to shine.
- Fuzzy horses = nature’s hand warmers – Sure, you won’t appreciate it as much when it starts to shed, but in winter it’s wonderfully convenient to be able to defrost your fingers by sinking them into wooly coat fluff. They get pets, you get warm. It’s a total win-win situation.
- The sound of peaceful horses munching all the hay you put up this summer. – At the end of the day, we can all be thankful for the majestic, infuriating, and very much beloved equine companions who are worth all our sweat, blood, and tears.
What else are you thankful for? Let us know in the comments below!
