#horses - #I'm switching barns and I could not be more excited!

I'm switching barns and I could not be more excited!

This is going to be a long post... TL;DR at the bottom!

A little background... when I was younger, I was OBSESSED with horses. I'm talking o b s e s s e d. I was known as the horse girl, rightfully so. I volunteered on a ranch when I was 12, and took lessons as a kid. It all stopped when I couldn't afford the lessons anymore, and I was also steadily gaining weight. The instructor rudely told me to lose weight (looking back, I am 100% supportive of this, if she had said it nicer... I was only a kid, so I wasn't hurting the horses yet, but I would have soon). This made me feel pretty bad and soured me to the whole idea. The whole horse thing trailed off. I couldn't take lessons due to money and weight, so what was the point? I got too busy to volunteer.

Years later, I am 21. I have lost 100+ pounds. I am not skinny by any means, but I am nowhere near being too big for a horse anymore.

I was gifted 8 lessons at a barn of my choice. I did research, found all of the barns nearby, and called them. I picked one place, visited it, the owner was not professional at all, and ignored my calls. Lol, bye. Eventually, I went with a recommendation from a friend of mine who shows.

I have had 3 lessons at that barn, and while my passion for horses has 100% returned, I felt like I was missing out on that magic from when I was a kid. I felt no connection to these horses. I've ridden 2 of their lesson horses and when I tried to pet or groom them, they both tried to bite me. Neither succeeded, but I was sad. It wasn't like this in my memories. I thought that maybe when you grow up, you remember it differently or something like that.

Once the gift lessons run out, I plan on continuing lessons. I decided to shop around for a barn more my speed (and price!). I found a barn that is actually the same price, but the owner was so nice over the phone that I decided to stop by yesterday.

What a DIFFERENCE! Within 20 minutes, her horse was kissing my face. It was an amazing feeling, I was practically glowing. Her horses are happy and loving. A lot of them are rescues that she trains herself. This woman has years and years of experience and treats the horses as if they are her children.

Not one of them tried to bite me, even the more antsy ones. She has dogs, cats, donkeys, and of course, horses. It is so much more relaxed, a lot less "fancy" (the other barn was pretty fancy... nothing against that, just not for me.)

It was a night and day difference, and I know I belong at this new barn way more than the old barn. I've been learning English (jumping? That seems to be what they were trying to teach me but I never asked the type and it has been years so I am rusty), and the new place teaches English jumping and dressage (if my terminology is off I would love to be educated!). I am really excited to work with these amazing animals!

Best of all, she is offering a saddle club type thing for adults, and I think I will be joining it. I will learn how to properly care for and respect a horse.

TL;DR - Was a horse girl as a kid... years later passion has returned when I was gifted lessons. Was taking lessons at a fancy barn, felt no connection... found a new barn, and felt at home.

Submitted January 17, 2018 at 08:19AM by giraffedesigner
via reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Horses/comments/7r1n4v/im_switching_barns_and_i_could_not_be_more_excited/?utm_source=ifttt