Of course you can

Much of what is written for Horse & Pony has an underlying theme of determination – horse people setting goals for themselves and their horses and working hard to achieve them. This issue is no exception.

Determination is well represented here, from successfully changing careers late in the game, to setting high competition goals, or sticking with a sport for the long haul. We’ve also got resources to help you hit your mark – off season fitness tips along with information on managing your own quirky partner in crime. Every horse, rider, and goal is different.

The team working on the dream is often larger than just horse and rider/handler. There’s likely family cheering from the sidelines, or at home holding down the fort, and a coach or trainer is invariably part of the equation.

Achieving goals requires confidence, and instilling confidence is a gift. For the past six decades, Avon Pony Club’s master pluck-builder has been a tiny woman with great big goals for each and every one of her students. An often heard – “What do you mean you can’t?” – is not a question meant to be answered, but instead proven wrong.

It was wonderful to see Mary Henry honoured at the recent Nova Scotia Hunter Jumper Association banquet as the first inductee into their Hall of Fame (more on this in the N.S. Report). In her usual fashion, Henry humbly deflected praise away from herself, highlighting instead other fine horse people, some who came along before her, making a difference in our region on the Pony Club, breeding, and competition scene. She reminisced about horses who made riders, and riders who made horses. Henry wrapped up her speech by reminding everyone present to get themselves to the used tack sale the next day in support of the Avon Pony Club.

It’s a skilled teacher who can read a situation and understand the abilities of both a child and a pony, and then present manageable challenges and attainable goals, often with results others may not have believed possible.

Now in her eighth decade, Mary Henry continues to lead, teach, and squeeze the best efforts out of those in her charge.

In this new world of life coaches and self-improvement gurus, what a difference a few more Mrs. Henrys would make. Hundreds of high achieving adults (and their then worn out parents) look back on their time with Mary Henry and agree.

So as we get started on the last year of this decade, let’s quash all doubts and follow the words of the grand master of Pony Club – “Of course you can. Now get on with it.”