I always promised myself that if I ever became a mother, I wouldn’t lose myself along the way.
I’m very privileged to be able to afford weekly riding lessons in addition to a child, but I didn’t expect to find it so hard to wake up in the morning to get to the barn. Pre-baby, I’d pop out of bed on time (or early) so I’d have plenty of time to groom and tack up.
My world has completely changed now, and I often wonder if I can even drag myself out of bed after a long night of 5+ wakeups. Riding is still important to me and I want to do everything I can to continue pursuing my lifelong dreams. It’s a delicate balance, though, and I struggle with walking the line between cutting myself some slack (riding is supposed to be fun, after all…) and sticking to my commitments.
Fall has arrived, so the mornings are about to be cool and crisp. I can’t wait until the temperatures dip just a little bit more. Fall and winter morning rides are my absolute favorite. There’s something magical about chilly mornings and seeing a horse’s breath fog in the morning light and watching as deer play in the jump field as the sun rises.
I really hope that Liam will get his sleep together sometime in the near future so I can enjoy my “me” time more freely. I’m always happy after I push myself to make it to the barn, but I’m stretched pretty thin right now.
I’m lucky to have an awesome coach who has two kids of her own, so she understands the struggle of balancing motherhood with riding. As much as I want to hit the gym to improve my core strength and flexibility, I also need to give myself a little bit of a breather. For now, riding is just going to be my safe place and I’ll do my best to stop putting unnecessary pressure on myself.
Keep Calm and Carreon 