Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Title: Horse experts / horse people/ get a grip

Lately, I've been reading on this list and on a couple of other sites I’m on, nothing but bitching and complaining about other posters.   It seems that there’s something in the air and we’ve all caught nasty-itis, me included. 

Let me tell you about my recent experience with Horsey people.

My young horse, who is probably the gutsiest, sweetest, kindest thing born was diagnosed last night with African Horse Sickness. I immediately thought "I'm going to lose him". I contacted everybody I know, posted on this list and on the other one, as well as sent emails to my endurance website in America, and my own yahoo training list, and smsed everybody in my cell phone and asked them for two simple things : information and prayers.

Since then, I've been flooded with help, with information, with offers to assist me in any way possible, and with people giving me moral support. When you're facing death in the eye and believe you're going to lose a beloved animal, it gives you a whole new perspective on what is important and what isn't.

And I promise you : past fights are NOT important. Petty disagreements are NOT important. Ego is NOT important. The fact that the person who sends the email or sms or PM was ugly to you at one time or another is NOT important. Spelling is NOT important. Grammar is NOT important.

What is important is that, when the chips are down, when one of "our own" is hurting, horsey people are the best d**ned people in the world, and I've had people as far away as Alaska praying or Diceman, and praying for me, and thinking of us as we fight this bloody disease and I know we're going to beat it.

We're going to continue to disagree, and to fight, and to bicker. Nothing I can do or say will change that. But I just want you to think about one thing, next time you female dog-slap someone on the 'net : the reason we fight so intensely is because we are all incredibly passionate about our horses, and whilst that passion can be incredibly annoying when it's coupled with ignorance at times, or with personal vendettas at times, or with the "you're not in our gang" kind of mentality which we're seeing so often, it's also the kind of passion which has kept me going over the last 24 hours, and it's the kind of passion which will sustain you if, God forbid, this should ever happen to you.

We're a tough breed, we're an opinionated breed and we're a downright annoying breed, but know this : if YOUR chips are ever down, there's nobody you'd rather have in YOUR corner than a dyed-in-the-wool horseperson.

Thank you to everybody who has stood by me through this, and who has sent prayers and wishes to Diceman. He's standing in his paddock eating his hay and looking much better. Keep them coming guys, he's going to need them.

And when you get to the stables tonight, hug your horse really tight and kiss him, and tell him how special he is, because I nearly lost a very special angel, and all I could think for a long time was that I didn't tell him often enough.

And be kind to each other.

Apologies to anyone I may have offended of late, too.  

       
Regards,

Tracey