When I was younger and an avid barrel racer, I never thought there’d come a day when I’d have not one, but three horses in my pasture that haven’t been ridden in months—and in some cases, years. However, that’s exactly where I find myself today, with two retirees, one with injuries that make her altogether unrideable, and another who is just plain old. But I also have a teenage mare who is perfectly rideable—if I wanted to ride her, that is. The thing is, I don’t.
Maybe some of you can relate to this.
Many people may find themselves at a similar place in life—where they are perfectly content to simply take care of their horses and keep them as pets. Yes, horses are rather expensive pets, whether you ride them or not, and therein lies the conundrum. For many people, a horse’s value is directly tied to what they can do for the rider or owner. This is understandable when a great deal of money is at stake.
But what is a horse’s value if they aren’t ridden or used in any way? While some would say “very little” or perhaps “nothing at all”, I would have to disagree. I have a feeling that many of you might too. My horses are still quite valuable to me, but value can have different meanings, and it doesn’t always have to be associated with money.
Every morning, as I go out to feed my three equine friends, their pricked ears and soft nickers bring a smile to my face. As I watch them graze in the pasture on a summer afternoon, the sun shining off their backs, tails lazily flicking back and forth, I’m reminded of what an honor it is just to have such majestic creatures in my presence. I consider myself lucky to have horses in my life at all. I would bet all of my previous horse show ribbons that many of you feel the exact same way.
For some of us, it doesn’t matter that our saddles and tack are gathering dust in the barn. We may ride again someday or we may not. Because for some, the value of our horses can also be equivalent to the amount of joy they bring into our lives. And for me, that amount is so very much.
