The weather here in Georgia last weekend was fantastic. It was one of those rare February weekends with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 60s. We get them every now and then, a short respite from winter before the cold air blows in again. It's one of the pleasures of living in the southeast.
I loved that my Facebook and Instagram feeds were full of pictures of my friends out spending time with their horses, taking trail rides, riding bareback, or hanging out at the barn; just enjoying being around these amazing animals.
I was at an IHSA show with my team Friday evening and Saturday, and then at an IEA show as steward on Sunday. The pretty weather added a nice touch to the weekend, and also made me a little contemplative about life.
You see, I spend a whole lot of time being Coach Amanda or Steward Amanda, or, in the case of IHSA, both at the same time, lol. I'm so busy with the business side of horse shows, trying to get my riders qualified for the post season or making sure the show runs efficiently, that I don't often step back and look at the big picture, why I got into this business in the first place...except when I'm schooling my team's horses during the morning warm up. Well, really just one horse in particular: my sammy pony.
Sam is not my personal show horse. He's just a cute 15 hand Dartmoor/Holsteiner 'hony'. Originally bred to be a fancy show pony, he grew just enough to be too big to show in the pony divisions, but not big enough to compete with the big boys. So he found his way to us as a valuable member of my farm lesson string.
I love this little guy. I only get to ride him when I'm schooling him for the IHSA shows because my team and private lesson students use him so much during the week. But when I do get the chance to throw a leg over, for those ten or fifteen minutes I'm not Coach Amanda. I'm just a girl who loves her pony. My mind is clear of all my adult responsibilities and I'm just riding, often nodding my head to the rhythm of his canter and whatever pop song is running through my mind as we jump around. This weekend it was Uptown Funk ("don't believe me just watch..."). If you look closely, you can sometimes see my lips moving.
It's during these schooling rides on the sammy pony that I'm able to get back to basics. I got into this business because deep down I'm just a girl who loves horses. I wasn't satisfied with working a regular job and riding on the weekend. I wanted horses in my life 24/7, waking and sleeping with the sound and smell of these beautiful creatures on my brain and in my heart.
Its easy to remember these things on the rare occasion when the stars align and I'm given a warm February weekend to ride my sammy pony.
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| The author preparing to school the sammy pony at an IHSA show. photo credit Autumn McBride Vetter |
Amanda Garner is an Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), and Georgia Hunter Jumper Association (GHJA) steward, schooling show judge, head coach of the University of North Georgia IHSA Equestrian Team, and owner of Epiphany Farm, LLC in Dahlonega, Georgia. She is also a member of the IEA Board of Directors and the author of "A Parent's Guide to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association."
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Thanks! --Amanda
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