I’ve always said that I was very lucky to be born into horses. My parents already owned horses, thanks to my mother’s upbringing, when I was born. My sister, who is five years old than me, had already been riding.

Which is why I think I’m always so passionate about introducing horses to anyone that mentions they’ve never seen one in person, or any slight curiosities about the animal. I love helping my friend’s business, which is a pony ride and petting zoo. Through this business, she gives so many kids their first ever ride astride a pony or a horse. She gives them those memories that will last a lifetime, and you hope it’s a ride that inflicts the same addictive chemical that is in our brains as well. The chemical that turns you into a horse girl (or horse boy) for life.

Or, when I was working for the Indiana Horse Racing Commission and I spent many long, hot hours hosting the Speed Barn Tours during the Indiana State Fair. So many inner city kids had never seen a horse within two feet of them, and were naturally afraid of the large animals. But to see their eyes light up when they felt the softness of the horse’s nose, or their laugh when a horse sneezed…it made the long hours worth it.

So, when the Equine Network started a new website called MyNewHorse.com, and one of my dear friends (and former co-worker) grabbed the reins, I was all too eager to jump in and become a contributor for this content site. The goal is to make horse owning easier to digest, but cutting big ideas into small bites to avoid overwhelming someone looking to try to make their childhood dreams come true.

What do I mean by bite-sized pieces for new horse owners?

One example is explaining the day-to-day life of a horse owner. I highlighted two horse owners (in two different regions and lifestyles) to show what they do each day as they care for their horses–large and small. Then, the editors put together a video to show a little more of the routine someone can expect to have when they own one or two horses. Sure, if you’re a veteran horse owner, the day-to-day routine of caring for horses is a no-brainer, but when you really stop and think about what you do every day–morning and night–you might surprise yourself when you realize, “Wow, that is a lot to do every day.” Or, “Oops, I forgot I do this…and this…and that…”

Or, what about thinking about what you wear to the barn? When I asked two friends/horse owners to share their opinions on what to wear to the barn, at first it seemed pretty straightforward. And then they really started to think… Am I riding right then, or just doing chores? How much am I doing around the horses? What about changing clothes while at the barn?

Not so easy when it comes to really disecting what you have done every day for most, if not all, of your life. But, it’s a good practice that everyone should do every once in a while. And I’m not meaning just horse owners. But, think about something you’ve done a lot of in your life, something that seems so natural now… Now, try to explain that to someone who has no idea how to do what you’re describing. You’re liable to leave something out, and you’ll have to go back and insert a step, or four. But it really makes you think about what you do naturally and how you can make it better, or easier.

So, if you haven’t checked out MyNewHorse.com yet, I highly recommend that you peruse the website some, and share with other horse owners–new and old. Is there something you feel is missing from the site they should cover? Would you recommend this site to a new horse owner you know, or even maybe a 4H group?