What Does Having a Barn Family Mean to You?

While having my morning coffee I saw a post on my Instagram Feed where an equestrian athlete was thankful for her barn family during a time of crisis. I got thinking about our barn family and how grateful I am that we have them.

What is a Barn Family?

Love. Plain and simple. Love for our horses, each other, our community, our lifestyle, our extended families and the business that support us. I know that sounds like a bunch of girlie mush, but it is a truth.

Can’t we say that love is moral character and we show it by the way we act and treat each other?

Who is your barn family?

When you sit down and think about a barn, it is made up of single members as riding is more of an individual sport than most sports are. Hockey, football, baseball and lacrosse are sports that come to the mind when someone mentions sports, and they are all team sports. When you think of those who ride and compete, it is more common for events to be individual than teams. Those with riders, coaches, and their families in a barn setting soon start to form a tight group of people that support each other. It isn’t long, and you become like family.

I am so fortunate that my barn family are actually the most amazing people around. In the past month, I can say I have had offers of a place to bring the horses when the stock water is frozen, Dolly hitching a ride on someone’s pony when she couldn’t use her own, barn family supporting both Dolly and my businesses, offers to help with a sick horse, hand me down show clothes for Dolly and so much more than I could ever begin to list.

Is Your Family Included in Your Barn Family?

How many equestrians can actually say that their family is a vital part of their barn family? Most of us run off to the barn, leaving our family behind to pursue our equestrian passion. Not everyone loves horses as we do, and some of us are lucky enough to share that passion with our real family members.

I am one of those lucky ones. From my two youngest kiddos wanting to both be equestrian professionals, my parents are there to pick up the pieces so we can leave the farm for horse-related events and to my extended family members lending a hand whenever they can.

Thank You

Moms, Dads, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Boyfriends or Girlfriends. The list would be endless to think of the people that make it so great. I don’t know about you, but my barn family is amazing. Coaches, parents, riders, friends and actual family make barn days the best days. It is easy to get caught up in the act of everyday living and not acknowledging the people that make our lives so meaningful.

So to everyone in my barn family…

Thank you for being a part of the best days in my year.