“I get by with a little help from my friends.”
- John Lennon

• Yeah, not too original title, but it there are SO many quotes about friendship, I picked a broad and widely known one. Anyway, every equestrian knows the importance of an equine partner: a four-legged friend who will always have your back…in a manner of speaking.
  But for the equestrian straddling barn life with a normal life, human friends can be your most valuable possession. They can be your glue that holds your life together, they can be the sunshine on your cloudy day, they can be the shoulder to cry on and the social relief that your 9-5 (or in my case, 8-6, then 8-3, then 11-7….) schedule needs. Bottom line: YOU NEED HUMAN FRIENDS.
  It’s okay to have friends at the farm, but I’m not talking about those who you say hi, feed a few horses and go back home, I’m talking the people who you would feel comfortable calling them up and hanging out with at your house on weekday night when its too early to sleep and too late for riding outside.
  Really, a few good friends who you feel comfortable with (the more the merrier, but be sure you have time for ALL of them) can add a degree to your life that just makes everything feel better.

Lesson Learned: Friends take their shoes off before they come inside your door. Best friends are already wearing their slippers! (That’s my favorite quote…from me and my other hip!)