| Horses dominate the dreams of many | | | | won't notice you aren't home much anymore. |
| youngsters, and increasingly, the aspirations of | | | | Your calendar will revolve around barn activities. |
| more mature 'kids.' It has been reported that the | | | | Parties will be either at the barn or in the great |
| fastest growing segment of the equine | | | | outdoors; dining al fresco under a shade tree while |
| community is women over age fifty. There are, | | | | your pony munches on some choice bits of grass |
| however, a few things you must know before | | | | or from the hay bag you packed along. Your |
| making yours a horse family. | | | | appointments will now include the farrier, the |
| Horses are noble, powerful, graceful, forgiving, and | | | | veterinarian, worming dates, vaccination schedules |
| the best barometer possible when testing our | | | | and competition paperwork deadlines should you |
| leadership skills. It is small wonder that many folks | | | | choose to challenge others in equestrian pursuits. |
| consider adding a horse to their families. If you | | | | Everything in life will be viewed through glasses |
| have the financial wherewithal to buy and maintain | | | | marked "horse." |
| a horse, please consider the following before | | | | Magazines will no longer hold any interest for you |
| scheduling your first test ride: You can have a | | | | unless there is an attractive horse on the cover. |
| horse or you can have a life, but you can't have | | | | Your fixation on diets and nutrition will change |
| both. | | | | from human to equine. You will begin to notice |
| Horses are herd animals. | | | | every horse in every field from home to work to |
| Horses must have companionship to be healthy | | | | the grocery store. You will begin to critique the |
| and balanced. There is no worse sentence for a | | | | way horses on TV and in the movies are handled. |
| horse than solitary confinement, whether they | | | | You can't pick up and put down a horse like a |
| are alone in a fifty-acre pasture or a luxury box | | | | sketchpad. If discipline and commitment aren't |
| stall at the boarding stable. If your horse will not | | | | qualities you have in spades, perhaps you might |
| be part of a herd, then you must commit to | | | | want to rethink the horse thing again. |
| spending a large part of every day in the | | | | Adding a horse to your family without a |
| company of your horse. Anything less is cruelty. | | | | bone-deep love of everything equine only sets |
| Your friendships will be with other horse | | | | you up for a huge guilt-trip and some poor horse |
| enthusiasts. | | | | to a life of neglect. |
| In order to do justice to your relationship with | | | | If you've made it this far and are still itching to |
| your horse you will no longer be spending time on | | | | become a horse-owner, then you have a |
| the tennis court, at the dance studio, on the | | | | singularly joyous surprise ahead. There is little that |
| softball field or having lunch with your buddies. | | | | compares to a wind-through-your-hair gallop |
| That is, of course, unless your friends walk | | | | shared with your best friend. When you know |
| through the eatery door with clinking spurs or | | | | what it means to have 'hoofprints on your heart," |
| dusty boots. If you are married, be sure your | | | | you will be truly blessed. |
| spouse either shares your passion for horses or | | | | |