I grew up dreaming of the day I would own my own horse. I spent much of my childhood in this state of day and night horsey dreams. The horse gene is strong in me. And for those that know me well, it’s no surprise to hear my first farm animal was a horse.
Horses may not be considered very useful animals on the farm these days. Unless you happen to have a farm where you need them for plowing or perhaps to help keep fields mowed. Our horses have generally just provided tons of manure for our compost. So I guess in a sense they have helped us grow food on our homestead. Outside of that, they have not provided much in the way of working for their food. But, I’m completely ok with that because horses have given me so much value in other ways.
You can’t put a price on mental health. It’s not something we can really measure in value. At least I can’t. And when I try to measure how much my horses have helped me with my emotional and physical health, I can’t even. I just can’t even explain it. How many tears has my mare, Diamond soaked up in her mane as she listened to my sobbing from very painful and emotional days? So many.
How many miles of trails have we covered alone hearing only the sounds of her hooves and the nature around us? We had so many great trail rides just the two of us. How much have the horses taught my kids about self-control and patience? Tons. Especially for my youngest daughter. While horses may be a more costly farm animal, their value has been priceless to me.
Links:
healthyhomesteading.com/horses