When Quitting Seems Fitting By Lydia Fairchok Some young police officers were talking
it would look with horses grazing blissfully
roam. Well-kept careers must be nurtured,
about the pros and cons of working for dif-
on those verdant, rolling hills? (Sorry, golf
protected from overuse, regularly purged
ferent agencies in the area. “Hey, Sarge!”
enthusiasts – perhaps you have thought my
of negative influences, and kept in check.
said one. “What would you tell someone
pastures would look better as a fairway.)
When these caretaking measures are in place, pastures and careers alike experience
who is looking to change jobs?” The sergeant looked thoughtful for a moment, then
Grass is also a fragile resource. Even if you
replied, “The grass is exactly the same.”
are blessed with more acres than horses,
steady growth and yield a fruitful harvest.
you undoubtedly have to practice some
Sometimes, though, no matter how much
Grass is important to horse professionals. It
type of rotational grazing, manure removal,
care you give your professional pasture, you
means our horses can have healthier joints,
over-seeding, weed control, and mowing.
cannot help but notice things that seem a
lower feed bills, and happier digestive sys-
Neglected pastures are easy to spot because
little greener on the other side of the fence.
tems, and we can have the satisfaction of
they quickly devolve into mud, stubble, and
Sometimes it is because our students have
seeing horses do what horses are meant to
waste. In short, good grass takes work.
gone before us. When clients walk out, we inevitably wonder if we are offering a worth-
do. In our line of work, we can’t imagine a more proper use for grassy expanses than
Our professional lives are very much like
while product, or if someone else really does
pastureland. Haven’t we all driven past a
the pastures that we rely on to provide our
have something that much better. “If only”
golf course and thought how much better
four-legged partners with food and room to
thoughts begin to creep in: If only my barn
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Summer 2021 | Riding Instructor
