Adventures in Saddle Seat
Do you have any idea how easy my life would be if I decided to rack off into the sunset on a high-stepping American Saddlebred?
I’d give Coach Courtney the nod.
She would find me a horse. The length of time involved would depend on my ambition and budget. If I wanted to show locally, she’d need – maybe – five minutes to decide which horse in the barn would do the job. If I wanted to shoot for the moon, it might take her as much as half an hour to have six potential Louisville horses lined up for me to look at between here and Kentucky.
She would go with me to try the horse. Reagan [Barnshine] might come along to ride them first. I would have supervision for the test ride, advice on the horse’s suitability, and someone to negotiate with the seller for me. No standing about on my own wondering how to exit gracefully if the horse proved to be a no hoper [We Are Not Idiots]. In the first place, there would be fewer no hopers. This would be true whether I chose sale or lease.
My future superstar would live at Stepping Stone Farm. Someone else would climb out of bed to feed in the dark of winter and in the heat of summer. Someone else would worry about finding enough hay and setting blacksmith appointments. Someone else would already be taking care of the horse if I had to leave town.
Coach Courtney would oversee wonder horse’s training. She would decide how much work and how often. I would take lessons on my horse and on practice horses. She would oversee my show schedule, advising me on which shows to attend and which classes to enter. My show career would have a plan, rather than being a drunkard’s walk through local prize lists.
I already know 90% of the shows. I’ve been in the arenas. I know where stable parking is. I was going to say that my horse would be wafted to and from the shows without me, but that already happens with Academy horses. No change there. Ditto, help in warm-up and on the sidelines. I would have advice on how to dress for my show ring suit debut. In fact, try to get into the ring without Reagan’s sartorial oversight and approval!
Can’t you see me, zipping around the ring, resplendent and well-prepared, on a lovely horse who has been trained as my perfect teammate? All it would take is a nod.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
I can see you, but it feels like there might be something missing…
The easy way out is often the most difficult to live with in the long term.
“I took the one less traveled,
And that has made all the difference.”
You have a tough dream. But you’re a tough soul.
Given world enough and time and money, what are the similar steps you need to take to be where you want to be?
I think I may have an inkling of where your heart is on this one, my friend.
Yeah. Wouldn’t work for me either. I don’t get the attraction at all, but it’s not the only discipline I can say that about.
Not clear if it is the discipline or the horses. Saddlebreds are wonderful horses, but there’s something about watching two thoroughbred gallop around the pasture that makes you stop and watch in wonder.
Something more natural, sorta.
I think all horses are natural. It’s what we humans do with them that’s not.
Since the two posts are related, I have responded to everything in tomorrow’s comments.