The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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47 October 2015 THE HORSE TheHorse.com EQUINOMICS STEPHANIE L. CHURCH TheHorse.com/Equinomics T hey say to write about what you know. And after an 11-year break from horse ownership, I am well- acquainted with how to stay involved with horses without having my own. I sold my young Warmblood mare in 2004. It was a difficult decision: Mocha was my only homebred, and I loved her dearly, but we were not a good fit. She be- gan another career, leaving a literal empty stall in my family's barn and a figurative one in my life—I had been riding since before I could walk, had ridden and com- peted all the way through my childhood into my early 20s, and had never taken a hiatus. Five hundred miles from my family and still fresh in my career meant being "without horse" was not the only novel situation at hand. Honestly, the break from the expenses was freeing during this season of adjustment! It allowed me to try some other hobbies and to travel and see more of the world than I would have, had I been tethered by horse-associated bills. But at the heart of it, I really, really missed the tactile experience of horses. Thankfully, I live in horse country, so the opportunities to ride or be around horses were practically endless. I just had to seek them out. Perhaps you or someone you know is taking time off from owning horses. Here are some ways I found to stay involved with horses during my hiatus, along with some insight from riders who are or have been in a similar boat. Let it Be Known Thankfully, the fish-out-of-water horseless feeling had barely set in before several people began saying, "Here, ride my horse!" Young and fearless, I was able to pilot green horses for friends who were looking to get miles on their mounts and who recognized the value of keeping horses in one's life. Word-of-mouth was a powerful way of letting people in the horse community know that I was looking for opportunities to ride. And ride I did. Lena Lopatina, a scientist and equestri- an who lives in Los Alamos, New Mexico, has been riding others' horses after her own horse died unexpectedly in 2013. "I have a friend whose husband works a lot, and they trusted me to keep his horse in shape when he wasn't riding," she says, "allowing me to take the horse trail riding, fox hunting, and to occasional jumping clinics. "(Members of) our wonderful hunt, Caza Ladron, have been very happy to let me borrow guest horses a few times so I can go hunting during the season," Lopa- tina says. "And definitely our (United States Pony Clubs, or USPC) Horsemas- ters group and local Pony Club, who of- fered me opportunities to ride members' horses on various occasions." Keep Learning Never underestimate the simple con- cept of taking regular lessons to stay in the saddle. Says Lopatina, "The passing of my horse, while it was a heartbreaking experience, also allowed me to use extra time and extra resources toward more riding lessons, which is greatly improving my riding." Horsing Around When 'Without Horse' How to stay involved when a horse isn't on the books A riding vacation, like the author's trip to Ireland, can help you get your horse fx. STEPHANIE L. CHURCH