It’s all about balance

January 18, 2020 Volume 15, Issue 3

Hey guys! Its Anna Banana here. I begged Janice to let me have a shot at the Highline for the week!

Balance. That was the word that stood out to me this week. Balance in the horse industry is sometimes a trigger word. People hear it and they think they understand what it means, but it can end up with different interpretations. Balance means everything to the horse. It is apparent in every facet of their life. As Shayne and Des always say “Balance means life or death to a horse”. To me this week it really hit home for some reason. I think about it a lot when I’m at work. I think about it when I grain horses. I think about it when I medicate or treat a horse. I especially think about it when I am shoeing and riding.

As a Farrier, I understand balance. I know the foot must support the weight of the horse. I know that when I reach for a horse, they must be balanced, so that I can be balanced. As a rider, and I’m going to be honest here… I am still trying to understand balance. I am still

searching for my balance so that I can help balance the ranch horses. We have been riding some of the ranch horses over the winter, and my lucky steed is Dunny. Some of you might know, he is my favorite horse on the ranch. When I found out Dunny was my horse for the winter, I jumped at the chance. This week Shayne and Des have us working hard on our teardrop exercise. Where I was struggling was, by letting him drive his front end into the ground, I was disuniting the horse. I was taking his balance away. Bless these sweet, sweet horses and their ultimate patience.

I believe that somewhere deep in our hearts, balance means the same thing to us that it means to horses. That’s why we get along so well. We find ourselves in our horses. This year showed me that I was not balanced as a person. I will always do more, try more, give more. That’s just the type of person I am. My body had paid the price of my lack of balance. Being a farrier you always hear “Take care of your back”. But you don’t understand what they mean until you

must do it yourself. Luckily, I have people to BACK me up (Haha get it?) Shayne and Des have taught me so much about what your body needs to thrive when you do what we do. Shayne, with his decades of masonry experience, has given me so many tips about body position that I’ve lost count. Des, who is fluent in all things nutrition, has changed my view on what my body needs to become stronger. Because, here’s the kicker folks- IF I CAN’T BE BALANCED AS A HUMAN, HOW CAN I BALANCE A HORSE?

So here’s the point. Think about what you are giving to the horse. Are you as a person balanced in your heart, mind, and body? So do more that feeds your mind, try more so it grows your heart, give more to yourself and your horse. Search for the balance in your life.

‘Til next time,

Anna Banana