orange prisoners en route to their fated date with decimation, I felt a familiar peace: the sense of calm and satisfaction that comes from a training session on Princess, my equine partner. Every hour in the saddle teaches me more and more how
much I don’t know about horses and how much I still have to learn about dressage and training—more importantly, the further I progress into the training process and through the levels, the more I learn about myself. Perhaps some of you would find this frustrating; however, I’ve come to find it personally satisfying, a source of both comfort and inspiration. In one of the most recent USDF Bulletins, I read the interview
with Steffen Peters. One of his statements has become my most recent mantra: “Discipline is just another word for priorities.” It fits nicely with the John Irving quotation I have in my barn: “Take your lack of talent seriously.” I’m a dreamer, but I’m not lazy. I’m efficient. If you’ve ever been
a camp counselor, you’ll get what I’m talking about. If you’re new at camp and want to find the most efficient route to a destination, what do you do? You follow the fat the kid. He or she always knows the shortest distance between two points. Well, I was, and am, that fat kid. I have lived the vast majority of my life as a fat person. The
“tubby, tubby, two-by-four” in grade school, the disappointed expressions of fellow airline passengers when they find they’re seated next to me, the off-hand comment from the manager of my local Starbucks, “You sure you want a soy latte? It’s loaded with sugar. That’s a lot of calories.” These are all part of my daily existence. For the most part, my coping mechanisms and fairly healthy ego divert the pain and modify my reaction into something self-deprecating or, at least, less reactionary than what I want to say: “Yes, you unattractive, boney b****, I want a soy latte. And if you weren’t so miserably judgmental, I bet you’d get laid a lot more often.” That probably wouldn’t go over so well. Instead, I smile and say, “I’m working on a plan, Sarah. I’m working on a plan.” We know from research that as long as an individual is fit
and active, some extra body fat isn’t a big deal—it may even be healthier for you. Okay. I know I’m beyond “some” extra body fat; I’m not delusional. My point is the psychological effects of being fat have a far greater long-term, negative impact than do the extra pounds on your body: A fat brain. That’s what’s really dangerous.
66 July/August 2013
Warmblood Y
By Scot Tolman
esterday, as I got into my Subaru, rife with the aroma of a dirty saddle pad, empty Starbucks cups and a slightly fermented carrot that had escaped the confines of its fellow
When you allow yourself to be limited because of any assumed disability—your weight, your body, your lack of flexibility, your Dyslexia, your missing right leg or anything else.--you cheapen your life and you fall into a pattern of
self-oppression. You believe that you don’t deserve to be happy and that you can’t succeed. You compound the way you perceive the world is judging you, further limit your own possibilities and fall even more deeply into a cycle of self-hate. You have to be brave enough and diligent enough to avoid this pattern, regardless of the obstacles. Whenever I go to Holland, I am loathe to let anyone know
that I ride. The reactions are way too predictable. There’s the widening of the eyes; then quick look at the other people in the near vicinity; then the guttural utterance which translates to something like, “I hope it’s a big horse!” and, finally, some degree of laughter, moderated only by the politeness and degree of education of the individuals involved. But, you know what? That’s okay. I have learned that we Americans have a different outlook on possibility than natives of many other countries. We believe dreams can come true. We believe that if you work hard enough, long enough and smartly enough, you can achieve the visions you’re brave enough to see. Am I perfect? No. Am I ever going to be perfect? Probably not.
I’m never going to have the perfect body, an unlimited amount of free time or enough discretionary income. Should I allow that to limit the happiness and personal satisfaction I can achieve by passionately pursuing my dreams? Absolutely freaking not. The Brooks and Dunn song ”Red River Road” contains a lyric that resonates with me every time I hear it: “(I) learned that happiness on earth ain’t just for high achievers.” We don’t have to make it to the Olympics or even win a Third
Level test at a local show to find happiness and satisfaction in our riding. We just have to ride. Every day we can. With a plan in our heads, a goal in sight and a fervent desire to make both our horses and ourselves happier, more capable athletes. And, that’s enough. To find a personal peace and the joy that comes from our partnerships with our horses is truly enough.
Scot Tolman has been breeding Dutch Warmbloods for over 20 years at Shooting Star Farm in Southwestern New Hampshire. Read more of Scot’s writing at
shootingstarfarm.com.
Scot rides his mare ZaVita SSF (Contango x Elcaro).
Keagan Tolman
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68