1) I AM A NICER PERSON. Just ask my husband. My “rope” becomes exponentially longer. I can’t really explain why, but after a couple of hours at the stable, I am generally more relaxed and not as affected by the small things that might bother me.

2) MENTAL BREAK: When I am riding, particularly lessoning, my mind takes a mental break from day to day issues. There is no room in my mind to think about business, finances, family, etc. when concentrating on my riding.

3) HONORARY ADULT AWARD: i.e. “I WORE PANTS WITH A BUTTON TODAY.” When I worked in a corporate office, I had spent time on my daily personal appearance and essentially had a “uniform”, which consisted of a few high quality pieces that I purchased  each season and that were classic enough to roll forward to the next. I now spend my days in a virtual world behind my laptop where I am rarely in front of clients, hence I live in comfortable slouchy boyfriend jeans, relaxed cashmere sweaters, and athleisure wear. 

When I go to the stable to ride, it is important for me to “pull it together.” I believe in workmanlike, yet polished apparel. This is not to be confused with expensive clothing. I believe it is a sign of respect to my trainer and to the sport to arrive at a lesson with my boots polished, a matching belt, and clothes clean and wrinkle free. Psychologically, I have an added confidence when I know both my horse and I are well presented.

4) CAMARADERIE: I have a tight knit group of friends that LOVE our sport and we truly pull for each other. When we are riding together, we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and are sure to complement when an obstacle is overcome or an exercise is completed well.

5) SOCIAL: My horse friends and I enjoy spending time together both at the barn and away.

My close barn friends and I try to spend time socially. These instances are rare, but they are fun outings when they happen. We talk about our riding, competitions, equipment, goals and dreams (winning the lottery to build an amazing indoor arena!). Our commonality is horses and we avoid negative gossip, particularly anything at our stable. NOTE: Non –horse spouses and significant others are typically not included as we seem to speak a foreign language and they are BORED!

Additionally, our stable aisle is a social hub. It hosts birthday parties, trunk shows and most recently, guest speakers for our USHJA Stable Challenge review.  I enjoy when I run into “the ladies ride” women who meet every Saturday afternoon for a group lesson and then finish with wine and appetizers.

6) PHYSICAL FITNESS: I don’t care what any non-rider says, EQUESTRIANS ARE ATHLETES. I track my heart rate when I jump a full course, a throw back tool from when I was running marathons.  My heart rate is the equivalent to my training pace of 8:45 minute/ miles, based on my non-scientific evidence that I have tracked using a chest monitor,  Fitbit and APPLE Watch. 

I challenge any non-rider to drop their stirrups, keep their legs still, hold their core still and pull their shoulders back, all while balancing and effectively engaging a moving object. Forget ever having to do a circuit class in the gym- just ask a non equestrian to wear riding boots and walk through a sand ring and move jump standards, gates, filler and wooden poles for a half hour.

I am also a huge proponent of cross training outside of the arena to maintain cardiovascular and core strength to be a more effective horseman.

7) NUTRITION: The last thing I want to do before any type of exercise is to fill my body with junk. Riding keeps me focused on a relatively nutritious and consistent diet that better meets my bodies needs.

8) COMPASSION: As I have evolved as a horsewoman, my levels of compassion for the horses in my care have evolved exponentially. I am TOTALLY embarrassed and sick to think that when I was younger, my horses were sometimes viewed more like tools that helped me achieve accolades.

One of the biggest lessons I learned occurred when I took up distance running during business school. I realized how important it is to take care of our bodies during strenuous physical activity and the physical pain involved after long workouts. To perform at my best, I needed well fitting shoes, body treatments, rest days, proper nutrition and I learned how bad it feels to run through body aches and minor illnesses. I am sure that our competitive horses experience the same physiological pains and I try to implement these lessons into my horse’s daily care.  I don't hesitate to provide my horse with body treatments, X-rays for proper fitting shoes and plenty of rest and turnout time.

9) DISCIPLINE: Wet saddle pads deliver success. Nice horses might make it easier to win ribbons, but not all victories are won at the horse show. In fact, some of my biggest accomplishments have been achieved through the discipline of repetition when home schooling.

Additionally, we have the discipline to get up at ridiculous hours, deal with extreme heat and cold, and generally work physically and mental hard to participate in our sport.

10) POISE: The poise I have learned in the arena has carried through to both the business and social environments that I am exposed to. Competitive riding has taught me to maintain better posture, stay in control during social and business meetings and remain calm and controlled in almost any situation.