The hard stuff

I thought starting my own business would be much easier than I thought. There is definitely more time involved than I thought, and over the past couple of weeks I have realized that how much you put into your own business is what you are going to get out of it. It's hard because my heart has such a passion for horses; and I want to use them to heal the broken. I want children and adults to be able see that there is hope through the horses at High Hopes Farm. But the journey has barely just begun; and I definitely have to kick it into high gear; otherwise the farm will not go anywhere and I will start to reap what I sow.

I am just continually amazed at how precious the horse is; and what a phenomenal creature it is. It amazes me how God could design the horse to be such a fierce and powerful animal; but yet such gentle spirit and emotional creature. There is nothing I love more than hoping the fence to the turnout pen to see my horse Clementine. And when we meet each other in the field; eyes gazed and hearts open as we walk closer to each other I feel at peace. And there is nothing I love more than when she lets out a soft nicker to say hello as she holds her head low enough for me to hold.

I recently was in the pen with her the other night. It was about ten thirty; and we were just walking around together staring up at the stars. I would walk around the pen and I'd hear her behind me; and when I'd stop I would feel her breath on the back of my neck before she plopped her head over my shoulder looking for a treat. When she realized I didn't have one; she just stood next to me playing with my zipper on my jacket pocket. It is in those quiet moments where I hear God's whisper. It's in that moment I realized that having my own horse farm is not something that is for me; it is something that I am going to use to heal broken hearts; just like Clementine healed mine.

Horse Quotes

I've been processing over the past couple of days what I want High Hopes philosophy to be; and I came up with a couple of quotes that symbolizes what the farm means to me.

"My goal is not to teach the student to ride; it is to show the student and the horse the relationship they can have with one another."

"My goal is to teach the horse and rider to connect in a harmonious and balanced way."

"Horses give me hope. After a rough day I know I can sit in their stall as they eat; and in the silence with them I feel hope."

"Horses bring hope and healing. No matter how deep a wound may be, horses reach inside us and heal a piece of our heart."

"Horses can captivate you before you realize it. They are much like the wind; one day you are galloping in the field and you feel them."

"What amazes me is how God created the horse. He made this very large and powerful creature, but gave them such a gentle spirit."
©Ali Robinson