“I don’t like to talk about my dreams. I like to make them happen. I prefer to talk about them when they’re done.” Diane Von Furstenberg

This quote came up on my ‘Daily Quote’ app on my phone. It’s the first time I’ve heard it, and it really resonated with me. One of the things I used to find frustrating in a past relationship was my ex’s discussion of the things he dreamed of doing, with no plan on how to achieve these dreams. I want to say that they were completely unrealistic, but that’s not true, of course. I’m not naive enough to say that we can achieve anything we want to achieve. But we are certainly capable of achieving much of what we aim for, if we put in the relevant work.

I’m much more a believer in getting on with it, working towards my goals. I feel that very little is achieved without hard work, and that we also need a little luck on our side. Saying that, to a degree, we make our own luck. We connect with the people and the places that will help us towards what we’re aiming for. We look after our bodies and our minds so that once we get there, we can enjoy what we’ve worked towards. And we recognise that the joy is in the journey, and once we reach our target, we will set a new target.

Recently, I worked with a horse who has a known dysfunction in his left hock, but passed the 5 stage vetting as the vet didn’t feel that this dysfunction would have any impact on him. He is a lovely, kind horse, who has been doing very little work for the past year, due to no fault of his own. Sadly, he had to be rehomed, and he went to a dealer’s yard, where they produced him for sale, including jumping large fences to show him off. Now with his new owner, he’s showing soreness through his left quarters, and stiffness bending to the left. This owner dreams of eventing with this horse, and rightly so, since he has taken care in the purchasing process. But it’s no good dreaming without doing something to make that dream happen; she accepts that she needs to go back to square one and bring the horse into work gradually to allow him the time to get fitter, stronger, and more flexible. It will take a few months, and plenty of patience, since they are raring to get going. But far better to talk about the dream of eventing once the horse is capable of comfortably doing what’s asked of him, than to talk about the dream without putting in the necessary action.

Actions speak louder than words. Make your dreams happen, and then enjoy the discussion.

Keep an eye out for my next book, “Harmonious Horsemanship: How to use the Ridden Horse Ethogram to Optimise Potential, Partnership, and Performance”. This ground-breaking book is co-authored with Dr Sue Dyson, and will be available summer 2023. Sign up at www.harmonioushorsemanship.co.uk to be kept up to date with new information as it comes available. Watch a FREE 30-minute documentary on the Ridden Horse Ethogram here.

Here’s a FREE 30-minute presentation by Sue Palmer on how to be confident that your horse is comfortable.

Other books by Sue Palmer M.Sc. MCSP:

‘Horse Massage for Horse Owners’

‘Understanding Horse Performance: Brain, Pain or Training?’

© Sue Palmer, The Horse Physio, 2022