We’re in tough times to navigate nowadays. From conspiracy theories to advances in false lashes, from social media influencers to Photoshop, I’m led to wonder what’s even real anymore? ‘Cause I don’t know.
I miss the old days when you just had to ride around and be embarrassed that your horse got his tail chewed. I miss the times when people left voicemails on a house phone and you were allowed to spend your day oblivious to bad news. I miss seeing people reading a magazine instead of their phones.
It’s sort of funny to me how most of us are attracted to this, hmm, Western lifestyle, if you will, because it ultimately brings a lot of authenticity to the table. It’s long days, hard work, animals who count on you, dealing with the good and the bad that your day brings, relying on skill and wit and experience to get you through the problems. It’s building a business, a family, a lifetime. There are rewards and disappointments. Our horses, our cattle, our crops, they don’t care about who is engaged or what president is in office. They need our care, they require our time, they don’t lie to us. We know what’s required and it’s basically life or death with the effort we put into our livelihood.
We know when something’s off. We can drive by a field of yearling steers and see one that needs to be doctored from afar. We can look at a painting and tell right away if something’s not accurate. We can point out a Kit Kat Sugar colt in the arena without asking anyone. We can read a lot about a guy’s influence, style and specialties by his boots, the way his rope hangs from his saddle and his flatbed accessories on his feed rig.
Being authentic means being ourselves. It doesn’t mean we have to be like everyone else around us. So many folks are willing to help someone who is seeking it out — be it horsemanship, roping, skillsets, efficiency. There are tips, hints, methods, tricks and opinions on just about everything we do in the Western world, and none of it is wrong or right. I say (to myself, and anyone reading): Go ride with others. Take the help. Allow yourself to be influenced by the things that click and spark. But don’t let it be too discouraging or get you too off track. We all need to find a way to find comfort and truth in being ourselves as well.
I think, as horsemen, if we aren’t struggling, striving or feeling frustrated or confused at times, we might need to try a little harder. But on the flip side, I recognize that there’s a quiet, simple comfort in being confident in your process and feeling ultimately flexible in your results. Don’t allow something you love to become something you dread, and don’t allow someone to tell you that you aren’t doing it right when you know that what you’re doing is right for you.
Enter up. Or, stay home. Start a colt. Or, hire someone to do it. Find opportunity in every obstacle but don’t make everything too big of an obstacle to conquer. Learn and grow but also appreciate how far you’ve come. Buy the horse. Sell the other if it’s not a fit. Try not to overthink this.
To simplify, be you but keep working to be the best version of you. Put the horse first. Put the rest next.
And whenever you can, put the phone down and check your messages at the end of the day.
A great outlook!