Once you know who you are in Christ, and how He views
our role as caretakers for our horses, it is easy to find ways to
align your love for these wonderful creatures, the fun of the sport of
dressage, and your desire to do His will.
The first thing to recognize is that it is not about us. It
is not our own goals that matter so much as God's goals. He
desires that we do our best for Him, not for ourselves. The Bible has told
us what God expects in all situations, this applies to riding and competing in
dressage.
With horses the most important thing is to be a
caretaker. Care for your animals and deal with them fairly.
Horses are beautiful creatures He
created for us to care for and enjoy riding, and to appreciate
from afar. Our first
desire is to seek God, then to love our spouses and family members
followed by loving other people. Our job with horses is to
care for them and this also includes love, but it is
important to keep them in perspective. They are given to us
to care for them, not to replace our time of worship, or to
replace relationships with people.
In dressage our goals need to start with the relationship with the
horse as a caretaker, then as an animal that we can work with in a
very special way, and finally as one we share with others when and if
we choose to compete. Competitions are still called "horse
shows" by most people, which really is the best way to view
them. To show a horse is to allow others to see the beauty of
the animal we take care of and love, not to win an award. Ribbons are given by man, not by God.
God wants us to enjoy our
horses, so always remember to enjoy them and not to measure your
worth, or your horse's, by the number of awards garnered in the arena.
