Having Lindy around, (here she is again riding Petra P), has being like having a light shone on what I do. Every year, usually when it's time to pay the enormous insurance bill for the business, I ask myself whether I want to carry on. The hardest part of my job is the emotional burden which I find incredibly tiring. Not only do I meet some horses which are really in trouble physically or mentally, but most if not all of their owners feel very emotional about their horses and like to take the opportunity to offload it on to me. Now, I should be able to let it go perhaps, but I think I need that emotional link with the horse and the owner to be able to work empathetically with both. One of my most familiar refrains is "leave your emotions at the gate" as feeling and being emotional while you are training a horse is no use whatsoever. Yes, be sympathetic but don't lament or worry about the past or the future. It makes no difference how the horse used to be or what has happened to it; your dreams and hopes for it are of no consequence either. We need to work with what you have got at that particular moment without angst, regret, guilt, shame, disappointment or anger. Joy, maybe!!!
