Blog Hop: Why The Heck Did You Start?

I was going to write about my Sunday blunders, but you will all have to wait until tomorrow for that because Mel over at Boots and Saddles has come up with a great blog hop. And I love blog hops :)

Her question is:

WHY THE HECK DID YOU START?

 

 

At first I thought this would be a simple question with a simple answer, but as I sit here trying to write this post I am realizing that it is oh so complex.

 

I started riding a million years ago on my aunt's farm tooling around on the back of a pony in the pasture. I then graduated to sharing the saddle with my uncle as I encouraged him to go faster and faster on his mare. Eventually I got old and tall enough to get my own ride and then the entire world opened up for me. We covered so many hundreds of miles on horseback in so many wonderful places. It truly was a great time of my life.

 

But why did it all begin? I think just because it was available, I was a young girl (like 3 years old) and in love with any animal on the planet that I could get near. And my parents allowed it. The more important question for me is - why did I continue?

 

Riding has always been my Zen, my stress relief, the only time in my life when my brain shuts down and focuses on the moment I am in instead of all the other things going on. My brain goes quiet, my soul feels free and I am extraordinarily happy. It is kinda like heroin :) And I am still that 3 year old girl who loves any animal I come across. Just the thought of having Gemmie in my life is amazing.

 

Taking it one step farther - why did I start endurance?

 

Gem and I were spending our time fiddling around in the arena basically attempting anything we could to avoid massive, insanity inducing boredom as we went round and round and round. My aunt and uncle had instilled in me a deep love of the trails and once I grew a set I convinced the hubby to head on out on the trails with me. Gem was much better out on trails than in the arena and I was in love with trotting and cantering down the trail finding out what was around the next bend.

 

I knew endurance existed from previous research on what to do with an Arab. I like having goals, having something in the distance to work for, or I tend to just become lazy about it all. I mentioned it to an attending in residency who happened to have a friend who was kicking butt on the LD circuit up in the arctic north and we hooked up for dinner. She made it all seem so attainable and doable that I quickly found myself signing up for our first LD, then found myself there, then found myself completing with the worlds largest grin (and sorest body) ever. 

 

 So why did I start? Because I could, it was available, and I had a horse who I thought would be able to finish without killing me.

 

It is basically the whole story of my life. Why do I do anything? Because it is available and I can :)