Hakuna Matata

I finally got to ride my horse today for the first time since the first week of class. It was such an awesome ride. I am so happy because my head is cleared and I have fulfilled the expression “take a chill pill.” Riding my horse is what clears my head and allows me to leave reality for a little while.

Imagine that everything is going wrong. Every friendship, relationship, or acquaintance is falling apart with every step. Every class is getting tougher, every eye is staring, and every comment is directed toward YOU. However, there is a way to get away from that, relieve that feeling, a personal “hakuna matata” feeling of relief. For me that is riding horses.

When I get on a horse, I get focused on what I am doing. I am only thinking about the fact that I am riding my horse, what I am going to execute during this ride, and how in place I feel. Of all the places there are in this universe I am the most confident and comfortable when I am sitting on my horse in my saddle. It is a feeling of such comfort. There is never a time when I am more euphoric. The quote from Titanic, “I’m king of the world!” is truly fulfilled. From the time I get in the saddle to the time I put Dancer back out in the pasture, I am completely and utterly me. When I am asked who I really am, I wonder how to answer, and it shocks me that I wonder. The true answer is, I am me when I am riding a horse. It is when I am happiest, it is what I associate myself with the most, it is something that I am constantly thanking God for. Horses are my gift, my passion, the one thing that I couldn’t possibly live without. Some people would bring their music with them if they had to be stranded on a desert island, but not me. It is hard to top the company of your horse. My horse knows how I am feeling, and can sense my emotions. Who would be better company? It is crazy to believe that a horse can actually cheer you up. Winston Churchill once said, “The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man.” I couldn’t agree more. There is something about a giant, smelly animal that makes me so peaceful. Something about having hay in my pockets, mud on my shoes, and a car that reeks of farm that rocks my socks. I don’t think there is anything else that could ever make me feel happy, comfortable, peaceful, relaxed, relieved, and in the right place all at the same time. For that, I will be forever thankful for this passion. It is simply irreplaceable.