Blog - North Country Equestrian with Abby Stilwell

abby stilwell, north country equestrian, mom equestrians, parenting equestrians, professional horse riders

Why not get back into riding and competing while balancing a full-time job and raising two young boys?

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Grief and loss are hard concepts for many of us to wrap our heads and hearts around, yet sadly they’re a part of reality. As horse owners, it is likely that one day we’ll find ourselves experiencing the heartbreak of losing an important equine member of our family. Recently, this reality hit me hard when I had to make the incredibly difficult decision to put down a beautiful, young filly I had purchased only 18 months before. With the loss of her came some big emotions I wasn’t fully prepared to handle.

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It is likely very rare that any equestrian, no matter the discipline, has navigated the highs and lows of life with horses without ever experiencing self-doubt. Sometimes these are fleeting moments, and sometimes they can feel significant enough to make you consider stepping away altogether. Recently, I experienced something that seemed to combine both.

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How Horses Helped Me Find My Heart Again - As some of us are lucky enough to experience, I grew up with horses. In fact, my mom continued riding while pregnant, so I was feeling the beat of a horse’s footfalls before I could breathe oxygen. As a child I spent hours upon hours with my ponies, and as a teenager my horses silently listened to my worries, caught my tears, and taught me how to manage my emotions.