I lived in Ocala, Fl for 21 years and I’m in back for work obligations. Depending on who you speak with, it is, “Horse Capital of the World”. That may, or may not be true, but horses are everywhere around. It’s why I moved to Ocala originally and lived in the town for so long.

A life-long horse nut, I have been incredibly fortunate to have been around some of the best and most incredible horses and their riders, trainers and caregivers. Superior horsemen have been incredibly generous in teaching me smart and life-long skills to keep these animals at their peak and as happy as possible, which can be very hard in the tough world of serious showing (or racing, or any top-level horse competition). Being back here reminds me how much horses have given to me and taught me. Horses are actually why I started this blog.

The patience and overly abundant tolerance that horses give to humans is something that I never get past. I mean, how would you like someone hopping on your back, kicking you in the belly and insisting that they “jump this” and “run around this track”, or “race around this stupid barrel”? What human would put up with that foolishness? Still, horses just do. Certainly, their nature is to be passive and tolerant and essentially “do as told”, but what they give us, the patience they show us as we make mistake after mistake is mind-boggling. 

I’ve always considered myself so lucky to have been able to be continually given that patience and unbelievable tolerance by the horses I’ve been around.  Even to have “fixed” horses that came from very bad situations and to see their ability to come back and love, just as before.  Such patience and tolerance…unreal.

Humans should try a little of this with themselves, each other and other species.  Just think how much better EVERYTHING would be for all if we tried to learn a little from horses.  Patience and tolerance.  Rare, but incredible valuable gifts for us all to practice to all animals and each other.