Ride the Horse You Have Today” – A Reminder from the Stable

Have you ever walked into the yard and already decided how your horse was going to move?

I was reminded of this recently while standing in the stable with a 16.3h warmblood gelding I hadn’t seen in over eight months. He stood quietly next to us—eyes soft, relaxed, ears flicking in tune with our voices. At one point, it even felt like he was nodding along.

A lot had changed since I last saw him.Vet visits. Rehab. A physio. New farrier. A saddle refit.You name it.

But none of that really mattered until we saw the horse of today.

I turned to the owner after his assessment and simply said, “Let’s see him move.”Because that’s what we do.We ride the body—not the X-ray.We ride the horse in front of us—not the one from last week, last month, or last year.

After watching him move, I had a clear picture of what I could do to help. But then the owner said something interesting:

“He needs to canter before he really works over his back.”

I paused.And asked, “Is that the horse of today—or the horse of yesterday?”

Look, I know this isn’t easy.Owning a horse is emotionally intense and financially draining at times. It’s easy to get caught in the story of your horse: what they used to do, what they’re supposed to do, what you hope they’ll do again.

But what if, just for today, you walked into the stable with no expectations?

No “shoulders.” No “what ifs.”Just: how are you today?

From grooming to saddling to riding… your only job would be to listen, watch, feel.To meet your horse instead of measuring them.

I’ll be honest—I catch myself doing this too. I often have to reset my own thoughts before I reach the yard. Because horses? They read our body language like a book. They know how we feel—even when we’re lying to ourselves.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

And if you want to be part of a safe, supportive community where we talk about these things—where we ride the horse of today—you’re welcome to join us in The Female Rider Code. http://bit.ly/3IREiNL