I have always heard the phrase “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!” I like to change it to “when life gives you limes, make margaritas”! Let’s be honest here. Lemonade can’t smooth out the day quite like a nice margarita!
But what do you consider lemons or limes? This is a whole other side to the phrase. Some folks think stubbing their toe is enough to throw their sucker in the dirt, so to speak. Well, I walk into walls, doors, trailer bitches 😳 often so much limes come in a different form than most.
For example—> right now I have one horse that got kicked on his cannon bone and is “off”. Another who FINALLY closed up his leg wound and then did something to cause it to just stay stocked up. If I had to guess, he went to run during fireworks and ankle slapped it. I have a race Saturday. LIME. On the plus side, I didn’t pre-enter. Add in the sweet and sour now…. and the section filled up to where I’d basically be up to run during the hottest part of the day… add in triple sec…. and both horses will recover with some time off, maybe a little sweat wrapping and maybe some bute… there is the tequila! My younger horse is not legged up so really… saturday is a wash. But I saved money by not going (ice and salt!!). This is my theory on how to handle those limes…
Funny thing is… God likes to say “wait” and we don’t like to listen. I was just dealing with the one issue then horse 2, whom was my backup (I was going to run him instead) showed his injury. That was my stop sign. I’m not giving up. I’m just going to drink my Rita and wait. God obviously wants me to sit this one out! He is funny like that!
This summer has been different for me. I now have a sun allergy. Yup. That sucks. I’m also really having issues with the heat to the point that I get a mega migraine and then feel horrible. Maybe July is just not good for me this year 🤷🏼♀️. So instead of trying to whip up some magical healing potion to make that run on a hot day, I think I will grab those limes… just sayin!
As horse people, we really need to pay attention to what is going on at all times. We need to take care of ourselves as well as our horses. We don’t “have to compete”. We can sit one out. I normally make my cut on Thursday before a Saturday race. That’s today y’all. I called it. I’m not going. Even if both horses magically become 110%… I will drink my Rita and ride at home.
This is all just food for thought really. I see so many horses that are looking a little lame at the race and I just think to myself… why? Why push it? Take care of that horse and I promise, they will take care of you!
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