TIME TO MOVE ON

Susan had ridden for many years but after a bad fall, she had become fearful. She kept her horse, Angus, at a barn that had many different levels of riders, different ages of riders, and different disciplines.

Recently, the barn had become so busy that Susan had decided to ride in the evenings because the indoor arena was just too crowded at any other time. Riding with others, many of whom were younger and apt to spend more time cantering and jumping, made Susan more and more anxious. There were some days she simply went to the barn and just groomed and hand-grazed her horse because she was too scared to ride in the busy arena.

Angus also changed once the barn became more successful. The gelding pasture had more horses in it than ever before, and the usually mellow geldings had started to get into fights. Angus, a normally calm horse, was becoming more and more agitated.

Because there were more people at the barn, there were often arguments about who could use the cross ties. Sometimes people argued over the wash stall and other amenities. Whenever this happened, Angus became so tense that Susan would usually decide not to ride him.

Susan wasn’t sure what to do about the situation. She spoke to the barn owner who suggested longeing Angus and to just “get on and ride” to get rid of fear. When Susan asked what the barn owner’s plan was if more people wanted to board there, she was told new boarders would be welcome to help make the barn more successful. It was clear that barn no longer met Susan’s needs, so she made the difficult decision to leave for a smaller, less busy property.

About two weeks after settling in to the new barn, Susan noticed a marked difference in Angus. He was no longer agitated and upset. Susan also found that the other boarders were supportive in helping her get over her fear. That support and the quieter energy helped Susan and Angus develop a great relationship, and Susan looked forward to each ride they had together.