Making unicorns
The local horse world has lost a number of great horsemen and women this past year. Not a discipline has been spared.

They were mentors to many, and took with them a lifetime of knowledge learned through riding/driving, but mostly through managing, handling, and knowing their equine partners. Grand success came with colossal failure. Happy days walked hand in hand with heartbreaking ones. But they persisted.

Immersing oneself in the world of horses is not for the faint of heart, or for those without a strong work ethic. I come from the English world, but a horse is a horse regardless of the discipline, and good horsemanship is universal. I can’t help but wonder if the kind of knowledge being lost with this generation will ever be gathered again? Riding is now often taken up as a sport. And only a sport. Horses are boarded or leased for the purpose of riding in whichever discipline one chooses. Care and management are handled by barn staff.

The luxury (or inconvenience, depending on your perspective) of having horses at home is less common. Daily management skills learned through osmosis become second nature. Challenges and problems presented by horses being horses are solved through common sense and ingenuity. Treating minor wounds, feeding correctly, fitting tack, fixing fences, backing up a trailer, or ensuring the water doesn’t freeze are just a small part of a laundry list of daily questions requiring answers when you’re responsible for your own horse’s care.

It’s obvious in the little things at horse shows, such as the necessity for braiders and people who can clip – both things many or most people did themselves not long ago. Fewer children now start in Pony Club. And even if they do, testing and levels have all but disappeared from the curriculum. Tests were a reason to study and learn. Things you learn well as a child by doing, you retain.

The great American eventer Denny Emerson recently shared on his Facebook page a German saying relating to success in the horse world that goes something like “The path to the Olympics starts with sweeping.” In other words, putting in time, taking pride in your management skills, and doing the dirty work might just take you far.

It might also give you a happier horse – or even a “unicorn,” the fantastical description of a well-trained horse or pony who knows and does his or her job to perfection.

Let’s be honest about how that “unicorn” came to be. A good useful horse becomes that way in part or even mostly because of the good horse people it meets along the way – the breeder, the trainer, and the person responsible for daily care throughout the various stages of that horse’s life.

Let’s honour the memories of our mentors by continuing to “sweep” and encouraging others to do the same.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!