Confessions of a Non-Pro Colt Starter

Today was a good day. Today I started my 2-year old. Why am I sharing this with you? Well, in my “real life” (aka not on the internet), I have had several people share with me that I was an example to them. An inspiration, if you will. And not to toot my own horn, but that’s a pretty huge compliment. 

Now, I like to operate from the assumption that I’m pretty average. That there’s nothing about me that’s special. I think it’s a pretty good place to start from. I’m just another mid thirties woman with a bunch of kids and a husband and limited time, and a love for horses. 

My point is that I’m not so arrogant to think that I have something about me that makes me “special” or “better” than you, my lovely reader.  Which means those comments came as a surprise to me.

Well, to be honest, I do have something that makes me, if not special, at least potentially different. And that is that I am willing to embarrass myself. Publicly. Repeatedly. As a matter of fact, I seek out challenges aka opportunities for embarrassment. I fall on my face, and I get back up again. Over and over and over. 

And, I believe in myself. I may not get it or accomplish it on the first try. But damned if I’m not bull headed and persistent, and I never, never, never give up. 

So that brings me to, well, me. Growing up, my dad always hauled. As an adult, I got the truck and trailer. And taught myself how to drive the darn thing. And now I can back 200 tons of hay on a flatbed in the dark between the house and the shed with a jackknife turn and 2 inches to spare because I believed in myself and put in the work. 

I took my horse to shows. And sometimes I failed spectacularly. And sometimes I won spectacularly. But I did it. I wasn’t afraid of the process. I wasn’t afraid of failure. I know “failure” was never the end. 

I took myself and my horse on crazy mountain adventures and had the time of my life. 

And I started my own horse. 

Now, I’m not the yahoo I was a decade ago. I do all the groundwork and all the prep. So by the time it comes to swing a leg over the saddle, it’s rather anticlimactic. As it should be. As I prefer it. 

Now, I could send my horse out to full time training, but I’m a weirdo who happens to love the babies and the training and the process of it all. And selfishly, I love saying that I put that first ride on my horse. 

But, dear friend, I want you to know that I believe in you. And I know that there is something in your life where you don’t quite believe in yourself. Not yet, anyway. 

I’ve had friends say I inspired them. Not by anything that I considered special. Just me, living my life. Having fun with my horses. 

So I write this letter to you today. And I hope that I can inspire even one of you today to believe in yourself. To do what you want to do. To build your own confidence and capability and autonomy. Perhaps you’re scared to haul out solo. To trailer to a show even if your barn isn’t going. To go on a New Year’s Day trail ride just for the hell of it. To start your own colt because it’s on your bucket list.

Know that with baby steps and determination, you can get there. I truly believe that. I believe in you. 

There’s enough horse trainers and fellow riders out there full of doom and gloom and “you can’t do it”. I’m sick of it. I say, enough is enough. Be empowered. Ride your damn horse. And don’t let anyone stop you from living your life. 

Happy Trails,

Nicole Burnett

PS - write me back and tell me what’s one thing you are going to do that scares you. I read every email. 

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