What am I doing? You ask....

It seems as if every time something is written that some don't like, or something that gets under the skin of others, we get around to this question. Sometimes, I confess, I feel a little guilty that I may not be doing enough. But for the most part, I don't feel bad at all. I'm from the "old school" of Pro Horse people. I don't know how popular we are-though I can guess:), but I'm one of the ones who actually own horses. That alone takes up a lot of my time.I get up in the morning, and have a list of chores to do. The horses need fed, and groomed. The stalls need cleaned. There are usually some type of horse related errands to be run, or vet or farrier visits to be taken care of. Then there's hay to put up. And I've been known to ride. It's a well kept secret in the Modern Day Equine World that a horse can, indeed be ridden, and does, in many cases, enjoy it. I do "give back" to the equine Community, though. Currently, I'm working with a "newbie" to the horse world, and her horse. He's a good boy, but a bit stubborn. She's going to be a good horse owner, but has a few things to learn about horsemanship.(Yes, I'm teaching her to RIDE!) It's a lot of fun working with them. I also take care of 2 horses for an elderly couple. That's just a freebie. They don't get around too well, so I feed, muck, groom, and make sure they have all the supplies they need so they can keep their horses at home. I know it doesn't sound as honorable as giving to all of those emergencies that arise on an almost daily basis, but the couple that has been able to keep the horses is sure happy, and I don't mind. And yes, I do support Rescues, but only a couple that I know are good ones with a proven track record. I do what I can, whenever I can. By the time I get done with all of this, my day is pretty well spent. I don't have a lot of time to visit other places, donate to the Emergency of the Day, or volunteer, or make phone calls to ask other Rescues questions. I don't even usually keep my family up to date on what I'm doing! In fact, I'm often amazed at those who have the time to spend what appear to be large amounts of time online chatting about every little occurrence in their daily lives. The choice to write for this Blog was a tough one, but I believe in the message. I'm grateful to those who can point me in the direction of a good story, or link. I'm on here more than I ever dreamed I'd be anyhow, keeping up with legislation and issues that affect me as a horse owner. I don't really buy into the "We Are the World" theory of "Equine Stewardship". I think things were a lot better for the horses when those who owned them were expected to be responsible for them. I don't knock those who DO have the time to put into volunteer work, mass e-mail for the cause, or who can spend hours on end on line posting about the good things they do. Many of them aren't horse owners, and have a lot of free time to devote to those things. I do not. A lot of us do a lot of good things. Not all of us have time to get on line and discuss it, though.So, next time you ask what I'm doing-if I don't answer right away, don't assume I'm not involved. I may just be out doing it instead of telling you about it.
RH2