10/18/2026
Behind the Stall Walls... What It's Really About
The other day, one of my newer students was getting her pony ready, and he was COVERED in mud. I made a mental note to come back and help her after I finished a quick task. When I came back, another student (who is quite the introvert, by the way) was already helping her out. Silently, but in an understanding way, the two girls worked together to achieve their goal.
There was no competitiveness or judgment. Just simple kindness.
I'd be lying if I said my heart didn't melt right onto the barn floor.
Again today, I had two new students starting. While I was helping one, I turned around to find another student (not older, in fact, younger) helping the other new student. Once again, my heart melted right out of my chest.
And it got me thinking...
So often, especially among girls, we find ourselves tearing each other down. We look for flaws in our "competition" and use them to validate ourselves. We compare and we judge. And somewhere along the way we forget that someone else's success doesn't take anything away from our own.
After a while, we learn that it's a pretty lonely place to live. And yet, for whatever reason, we still allow ourselves to go there. Maybe it's protection? Or maybe we're trying to hide our own flaws? Or maybe it's insecurity, fear, or something else entirely. I'm sure there are plenty of reasons.
But what if we chose differently?
What if, instead of seeing others as competition, we saw them as someone who might need a hand? What if we offered help without being asked, offered encouragement without an expectation, and kindness without needing anything in return?
Those two little moments in the barn this week reminded me that we don't always need grand gestures to make a difference. Sometimes, it's as simple as helping a new student get a muddy pony ready for a lesson. Sometimes, it's noticing someone who could use a little help and quietly stepping in.
Those seemingly insignificant moments tell us far more about a person's character than any ribbon, ever could.
So the next time you find yourself in a position to help, encourage, or give, I challenge you to take it. Even when no one is watching... Especially when no one is watching.
Be the positive change in a world that can feel pretty full of negativity. Be the person who makes someone else's day a little easier, who makes a new person feel welcome, or who reminds someone that they don't have to figure it all out alone.
At the end of the day, there's a whole lot more to it than how to ride a horse. It's learning how to be good humans too. The lessons learned in the barn, can be carried with us everywhere else, too.
🤎
