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It’s a touchy subject. It’s one I’ve avoided for a long time, because it’s going to hit some nerves. But I overheard someone tearfully share that a trainer had told her she’d become too fat to ride, so I figured it was time to break the silence.

Weight. There, I said it. Human society is incredibly obsessed with body size. How many people don’t ride or stopped riding because they think they are too fat? How many people hide their talents and abilities behind a wall of shame because of their BMI (Body Mass Index)?

When I hear people talking about weight issues, it makes me so glad I’m a horse! We are expected to have a big, round “hip” and be well fleshed. Unless you’re a racehorse, it’s perfectly okay to be plump. In fact, we are “fattened up” for halter classes and viewed as healthier when we have some meat on our bones.

Why aren’t people like that?

I hear it’s mostly because of movies, TV, and magazines. Back when food was scarce and only the rich were plump, “Rubenesque” women were all the rage. But now that food is abundant for almost all people, you’re expected to be waif thin and wrinkle free if you want to be “in.” The media perpetuates this ideal simply by glorifying the skinny and the young.

I understand there are health ramifications for being obese, but that’s not the point here. Plump is normal for a lot of people. Your hormones, genetics, age, and body structure have a whole lot to do with what is normal and healthy for YOU as an individual. You can be very fit and still look “fat” based on what you’ve been conditioned to believe.

Are you one of those who stopped doing what you love in life because you don’t fit the Hollywood ideal?

Horses are incredibly strong. Light riding has a lot more to do with balance and technique than what a bathroom scale says about you. You can be overweight by today’s standards and still be very comfortable for your horse to carry.

If you want to make some changes, decide to be as fit as you can so you can ride well. Decide you’re going to be strong and healthy, no matter what you weigh. Exercise with the idea of being fit, not simply with the goal of being thin, and you will find a different kind of inspiration to keep going.

If you’re one of those whose nerves I’ve just agitated, please know that I do understand how painful this issue might be. You just have to put your focus on your successes and not concentrate on the mental feedback loop that says you’re not okay. You ARE okay, just as you are! If anyone says anything different, it’s their problem, not yours.

I realize this is a very prickly subject for many people, but I want you to know that the “Scarlet F” need not stop you from living life to the fullest. Take a deep breath, recognize your worth, and realize that extra pounds do NOT decide you who you are. Get out there and get on that horse! He can carry you!

Love, Moshi

From Indy:

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I’ve decided to run away and join the circus. I’m sure a dog of my many talents will able to wow the expectant crowds! Or maybe I’ll join the pack of coyotes out back and become a wild thing, hunting rabbits and mice for dinner and scaring people when they ride down the path. Or maybe I’ll become a search and rescue dog, finding people buried under rubble from hurricanes or tracking robbers from the scene of the crime. Or maybe…

What a minute. There are so many choices, I don’t know what to do! I’ve heard people talking about how hard it is to make big decisions. I’ve overheard things like, “What should I do? What’s my purpose in life? Where should I be? What job should I do? Who should I marry? What friends should I keep? What horse should I buy?”

What if there isn’t a “right” answer? What if they’re all right answers? What if it doesn’t really matter which route you take?

I’ve found that the best way to have a fulfilling life is to make a decision, and then decide that the decision was the right one. Give your choice all you’ve got!

Make it into the right pick. That’s not to say that you can’t change your mind later, but the most important part is MAKING THE DECISION. Just decide. Know that you can change it or fix it later if you need to, but give it some energy and progress as though the decision was the perfect choice for you.

More time is wasted and opportunities lost by indecisiveness than was ever lost by making the wrong decision. This is the very foundation for the power of goal setting. Goals are a decision made and a direction chosen. When you have a place to go, you move that direction! It doesn’t mean you can’t change course, but if you never start, you’re not going anywhere.

Are you trying to make an important decision but you’re nervous about making the wrong choice? Give yourself a deadline, and simply choose by that time. Then progress ahead as though you made the perfect pick. Focus your attention on the direction you’re going, and ignore the mental doubts that try to distract you.

I’ve decided I’m going to stay a companion dog with Jane and Rhett. If I decide to join a circus later, I’ll do that. But for now, I’m really enjoying my soft bed, my friends at the barn, and the cool water at the pond. Besides, no one gives belly rubs like Rhett. I’ve decided that alone makes it the right decision to stay put.

Does your dog like belly rubs too? I’ll bet he does! Maybe you could decide to give him or her a really good rub when you get home.

Love, Indy

Jane Savoie
1174 Hill St ext.
Berlin, VT 05602