08/31/2026
💙When Your Horse of 20 Years Isn't Your Horse Anymore💙
I frequently get contacted by people looking for their next horse after riding the same horse for 15 or 20+ years.
And my advice is this....
Work on yourself first.
There is something incredibly special about working with one horse for that long. You know exactly how he likes to be saddled. You know how much leg it takes to move his body. You know which trail he'll hesitate on and which mud puddle he'll walk through without looking twice. You know how to catch him, lead him, load him, and ride him.
You've spent years learning each other's language. And that partnership is something commendable. You should absolutely be proud of what you have built.
But when its time to learn a new horse...
Knowing one horse extremely well isn't the same as being skilled at riding many different horses.
Without realizing it, we adapt to our horses just as much as they adapt to us. We develop habits. Our timing changes. We compensate for their weaknesses, and they compensate for ours.
If we aren't regularly taking lessons, riding different horses, and putting ourselves in unfamiliar situations, our adaptability can quietly disappear.
Then we go shopping for a new horse and suddenly every horse feels wrong.
One is too sensitive. One doesn't respond to your leg in the way that you expect. One walks too fast. One doesn't stand exactly the way you want for mounting. Maybe you've never had to catch a horse from a herd, navigate a busy trail ride, or manage a horse who responds completely differently than your old partner did.
It's very easy to start believing you simply haven't found the right horse, and sometimes that's true. But sometimes the horse isn't the piece that needs more preparation.
🔹️The rider is - - - You are.🔹️
So before retiring your longtime partner and beginning the search for another, invest some time in expanding your own toolbox.
Take lessons. Ride as many different horses as you can. Work with a trainer who can identify habits you may not even realize you've developed. Put yourself in new situations. Practice becoming adaptable again.
It will feel uncomfortable—and that's okay. You're learning a new language after speaking the same one for 20 years.
Your next horse will never be your old horse, and he shouldn't have to be.
The best thing you can do for that new partnership is arrive with enough skill, adaptability, and openness to learn who this horse is—and build your new partnership together.
Happy Trails, 💜 Abbie
Photo credit to Nels Norquist Maple Leaf Photography
