I had a conversation with a friend who is planning a big riding trip out
west. Over the weekend, she hauled the two horses she’ll be taking to a campground, and she met with others who will be on the same westward adventure. They talked horses, training, gear, trailers and all sort of elements involved in the trip. She had been working on getting her horses in shape, but she was all the more motivated by the gathering.

I mentioned that I admired her doing all that prep work. She laughed and said it was like having company coming – it forced you to get the house ready.

The irony was that, as we spoke, I had company coming, and really didn’t have my house in the shape I’d like it to be in. I rationalized that I’m not trying to impress anyone with my houskeeping skills, but I knew that I’d dropped the ball. So there I was, scurrying around, the way I tell people not to do with their horses. Sometimes it’s not the horses who keep you humble, but just the ironies of life.

About 300 leaders and kids from around the country gathered, and it was a wild, fun, and educational weekend. No matter your horse interest, there was something for you. I learned a lot. But mostly I was really impressed with the leaders who work with kids and their horses every week, and for free, often long after their own kids have graduated the program. Not only that, but they organize fundraisers, too. One group earned enough money to travel to Hawaii. Their leader said, “The kids work hard all year, and we look at this special trip as a reward.” Talk about using a carrot!

The kids learned about careers, and how it isn’t always a straight path to discover the career that’s best suited for you. But there are lots of educational opportunities.  I learned that there is a shortage of equine vets, and that vet schools are eagerly searching for the best candidates, and it isn’t all about high science scores.

The kids learned about land conservation (www.elcr.org) and it was amazing to hear them tell of the big changes in their communities. Fifteen-year-olds told of “how it used to be” before the subdivisions took over.

Then there was a talk about the “unwanted horse.” I’ll write more about this at another time, but it’s a growing problem, and the recommendation from the Unwanted Horse Coalition is to “own responsibly.”

If you’re feeling alone out there, trying to make sense of your horse program or wanting to do something worthwhile with your horses, consider checking out the American Youth Horse Council. It’s inspiring to see adults investing time and energy into the youth, our hope for a healthy horse industry tomorrow.

There are two ways to look at this. One is to think about what they’re losing — as if downsizing was a fallback position. The problem with that is no matter how well you try to frame it, it feels like failure, like the dream gone wrong.

But munching on a few carrots as you try to get your mind around it, you can reframe the discussion, as we did. What if they talk about the past as Phase One and the future as Phase Two? The first phase involved quantity and building — many horses. The second involves quality and development — quality of time or investment and advanced training.

In phase one, many of the horses were green broke — all that potential, but undeveloped. In phase two, they get to see the potential play out — three well-trained horses, fulfilling their potential, and ready to ride, not struggling for the right lead or calmness on the trail.

In phase one, the pastures struggled, because the horses were always on them. In phase two, horses can rotate in pastures, allowing the farm to look better and the pastures to have hardier grass. Then there’s the quantity of tack, feed, shavings storage, not to even mention the amount of help needed. In phase two, all those things are more manageable, including the vehicles necessary to maintain the farm.

Selling the horses they’ve bred and loved won’t be an easy task. But even as we went through the list, their load lightened with each horse even theoretically gone.

Many of us have to downsize in one way or another. How well we make the move emotionally may depend on whether we treat it as if we’re falling from a great height or rising to a better quality of life. It takes courage to make the leap. Carrots can help.

One of the things I think is most fun about this gathering is that you get
to see adults and youth from lots of breeds and disciplines all working
together. The teen projects are cool, and you see the Ag kids, cowboy kids, hunter kids, trail riding kids, 4-H kids, Pony Club kids, and so forth all having fun.

Another aspect that is really inspirational is the leaders who have been supporting the youth for years, sometimes long after their kids are grown.

Their only pay is that they love horses and kids, and they know they’re
making a contribution. If you’re an adult working with kids and horses, you might want to consider attending next year. It’s fun and educational, and no matter your skill level, you won’t feel out of place. Whether you attend or not, I salute you and thank you for your work, because I know it’s making a difference.