Lessons from Picasso: Accomplish MORE, confidently, with trusted support

I've been an equestrian for over 35 years. It is my passion. It is in my blood. And I am determined to not let age keep me from riding. 

I would bet YOU have something that you're passionate about and that you don't want to stop doing just because you've traveled around the sun many times. ☀️

❓ What is your "WHY?"

Aside from my husband and adult children, riding is one of my biggest "Whys" for living healthfully.  Why do I want to be healthy? Picasso. 

Picasso is a 14-year old Dutch Warmblood. He's big, standing at 17.1 hands! And he takes a lot of strength and dedication and consistent work to keep going well. Picasso is WHY I want to be healthy. So I can live out my passion for riding.

I've learned a lot in over three decades of lessons and horse shows and thousands of rides. One thing I know to be true ... I couldn't have learned as much, done as much, or been as successful without the trusted and skilled support of my riding instructors. 

The same goes for the horses. Picasso trusts me to keep him safe, happy and well. When we work hard and stay strong and healthy and well-tuned together, we have better rides, pin higher ribbons, enjoy each other more and have a deeper sense of accomplishment. 

Let's face it. I ride better when I train with my instructors. Without them, I'd take the easy road, short-change my practice rides and ultimately wouldn't ride or show as successfully. 

I need the accountability (can you relate?).

I need my instructors. I need their skillset, their knowledge and their professional expertise. I need them believing in me so I can get better. I need them to push me, gently. Because I do better and am better when they do. 

When I look back at where I started with Picasso and where we are now, I have my instructors to thank.

Just like I need and trust my instructor, Picasso needs me. 

Recently, I introduced Picasso to a new Theraplate medical treatment machine at the barn where I board him. It makes noise, vibrates and is visually quite unusual - all the things Picasso is NOT a fan of. But, I wanted him to be de-sensitized to it, so we took baby steps -- first to approach it, then to walk over it and eventually to stand on it. 

Step. By. Step. 

Picasso trusted me to try the Theraplate. He's never seen one before, isn't a fan of strange things, but he trusted me to tell him that this is something we are safe to do and is good for us. 

So I guess animals and humans alike all need to trust others and need accountability to accomplish hard things, to be better, accomplish more, to grow and be happy.

The photos below are quite poor in quality but illustrate our baby steps with the Theraplate - first touch the thing, then walk over the thing. We worked through a difficult situation, trusting each other (him trusting me this is a good thing, and me trusting him not to run over me). And we survived and are better for it.

So, my WHY for living a healthy life is to ride and to enjoy Picasso. THIS is why I want to be healthy. This is why I need an accountability partner to push me to grow and reach my goals.

I'm living a second youth and don't intend to stop anytime soon -- doing everything I can to make sure I can keep living out my "WHY." 

And I want you to be able to do that too. Live a second youth. Live out YOUR WHY. Because it's never too late. It just might take a trusted someone to believe in you, encourage you and show you the way. 

Picasso trusted me to show him how -and that it was safe- to try something new.