I've struggled at times to believe that I can pursue goals as a horseman and in simple living. The biggest clash is that I desire to ride competitively. I did it in the western riding end of things, made it to intermediate level, and took years off to pursue very simple living.
Well, my jobs have kept me driving a pickup truck. After 10 yrs, and borrowing horses a couple of times a year, I bought one of my own again (have 3 now) Now, I'm trying to learn English and eventually compete. I feel conflicted on this though as it would require me to consume more resources.
My desire for fun and adventure drives me, my ego drives me, and horses are what my family is known for. I'm single and would love to settle with a horsey woman, but again, I feel conflicted there. They are generally competitive people, affluent AND very stylish.
As an alternative, I've been learning about doing light duty farm work with horses in harness. It doesn't satisfy my enjoyment of riding, or my ego as a rider, but it is very usefull and can displace fossil fuel to some extent. It can satisfy my horse trainer side too, to an extent. It doesn't excite me though like qualifying for a finals and riding competitively.
I posted this to a different simple living forum a couple of years ago and they said, "ride and compete while you're young". I'm 36 and feel compelled to make the next 15 to 25 years a winning bunch of years, but..... things about that horse show world and hauling horses hundreds of miles clashes with my simple living values.
Opinions?
I sometimes regret buying horses again, as a car free life has been a fantasy of mines, but I feel right and whole when caring for my horses. (I have large ponies and not pricey warm bloods)
Submitted January 08, 2017 at 05:31PM by RusticSet http://ift.tt/2isHyhq
