06/17/2026
Today weāre going to talk about š“ horsemanship. Iāve read so many articles over the last few years about how our younger generations have no desire to display true horsemanship, no desire to get their hands dirty in the barn, & no appreciation for their horses. How barns are closing up shop because itās impossible to find anyone to work for them who truly cares about the animals, & not just the ribbons or the accolades.
Horses are an investmentā¦.not only financially, but time-wise. The highest highs & the lowest lows can be felt in the span of minutes, & each day is a new lesson in patience & resilience. You can spend years working toward a goal, only to have it dashed in a moment by a pulled shoe, an abscess, a paddock accident, or your equine partner just saying ānot today.ā True horsemanship isnāt displayed when everything is going rightā¦.true horsemanship is what someone displays when everything is going wrong.
I have a wonderful student who rides a very tricky, quirky horse. The mare is talented beyond belief, but has a ānopeā in her that isnāt always predictable. Months can go by with perfect ride after perfect ride, only for a switch to flip & there be a week where all of us pull our hair out. This young rider displays nothing but true horsemanship in every momentā¦.she recently said to me āeven when we arenāt winning, Iām still having fun, & I still love her. Iām still happy to see her every day. I like the challenge & I donāt want a boring horse.ā
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That, friends, is true horsemanship. Not blaming the horse for not bringing home a ribbonā¦.not throwing in the towel & getting a new horse because things arenāt always easyā¦but appreciating whatās being taught, & the skills that are being developed. Those things follow you forever, regardless of which horse youāre tacking up, at any stage of your life. This student grooms this mare until she shines, brushes her mane & tail every day, & lovingly applies liniment after every jumping sessionā¦.whether the ride has gone well or not. Horsemanship isnāt optional, & itās our responsibility as trainers to instill that level of character & dedication in our students from the get-go.
We are supposed to teach our students that the process is the reward, & the ribbon is a bonusā¦if horsemanship is fading from our programs, we have nobody to blame but ourselves.