I hate that feeling.

That feeling in the pit of your stomach that you know something is wrong

Or 

Misaligned

Or generally, “out of whack”.

The bottom line, 

Or,

top line, 

Or, 

Most important thing is, you have to do what is best for you.

Like my friend said, “something has to change”.

When I asked him what his gut said, he said, “I don’t know, but something has to change.”

Pulling up stakes and moving your horse to a new facility is not a light decision.

But

When your horse is unhappy, and you know — in your gut — that something is wrong you will have to 

Shake things up.

Horsepeople know. 

They know when their horses are not feeling right. It isn’t really something tangible, like how we know when we feel off. There is no, tingling in my throat, or pain in my side like an appendicitis coming on, or sniffles or ache in my neck.

But rather that Twilight Zone, my Spidey Senses are tingling somethings gotta change thing.

So how do you decide that you have to change something?

Maybe when you brought your horse to the new boarding stable it was exactly what you wanted. A fresh start in a new city. The advertisements looked great, people were happy and the facility was safe and affordable. 

Unfortunately (or fortunately) things change. 

Maybe now rather than focusing on your lessons, you have decided that you would like to hack more and join a group that hacks out on a weekly basis. 

But, the place where you are currently, doesn’t have any place to hack. 

You have to make a choice. 

Should I stay, 

Or, should I go to a place where my friends are and hack?

These are the questions that really get to the heart of the matter.

Am I happy? And, Is my horse happy?

It’s a terrifying thing to have to make that decision. The definite act of making that leap that something has to change to actually making the change is a hard path to take. 

Rather than think that you have made an error or a bad decision and are “backing up the bus”, think of it as you have grown and you are searching for the next place in your ladder of success.

And 

You have to be true to yourself.

If you are unhappy 

And 

If your horse is unhappy then something has to change

It could be that  your priorities have changed. Maybe that lesson barn that was a perfect fit five years ago has to be replaced with a stable that has a more competition focus. 

It isn’t because yo are unhappy with the care, management or programs that are being offered, it could be because YOUR focus has changed.

And that’s okay. You are allowed to grow and develop and take yourself (and your horse) to the next level.

But what about those intangible things. Those things you really can put your finger on. Your horse isn’t happy with something, and you really can’t put your finger on it.

What do you do then?

I think this is a hard decision to make. It is one thing if you are changing your focus and are wanting to change stables because you have changed your own focus but it is another thing to disrupt your horse’s environment by moving stables because you have an inkling that something is disrupting their behaviour. 

And it is the behaviour of the horse that is the deciding factor.

It is the only way we can tell if the horse is happy, sad, angry

or

full of beans.

Changes in behaviour can be for the better.

For example, a horse, when it feels safe and secure in their surroundings, can be soft, light and compliant. When, however, a horse is unsure, frightened or threatened, think of that scary plastic bag that blows across your path, your horse’s behaviour changes dramatically. Gone is the”husband safe” solid citizen and enter the “flight or flight” response. Good bye. Don’t forget to sit up!

So don’t be afraid to make a change. It may be for the better and your horse will thank you for it.

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