Hmm, pretty basic stuff...where I come from there's everything from cleaning hooves to trimming for shows, then comes the fun stuff, race training and conditioning!

I never really thought that someone who didn't get into the day to day care of a horse really understood the horse itself, and I promise you caring for a horse is a job that requires you to 'have your stuff together'.

There's a difference between an equestrian and a horsewoman or horseman...one rides and the other does everything, knows his or her horse inside out.

Geldings and stallions require some extra care that most people not only don't know about but wouldn't do even if they did...mares have their own issues that require some rather unpleasant actions of the part of the human caretaker.

Everything from ground work to riding requires strength, and strength requires that the horsewoman takes darned good care of her own health and well being.

Nice thing about horses though is that they don't care what you look like, they care what you feel like...the inside stuff...they care that when you come to them agitated that you end up with a calm mind in their presence, that you are confident in yourself and in them...that you aren't clouded in mind or heart...horses are pretty smart for animals, they understand more than one might think.

Do you know how many muscles you work in your own body simply sitting on a horse? Not even using proper posture?