GET THE HECK OUT OF DODGE

OK, first of all, a confession. This is going to sound like a sermon. Don't want to do that routinely in a blog, right? I mean, if you need a sermon, you go to church.

And furthermore, I am not the priestess of wisdom. (Ah, wouldn't I like to be.. wouldn't we all like to be?)

I just report what I see and think. Take it or leave it.... so yes, here is a sermon. And a sense of frustration being expressed. It's directed at those who live in Lexington.. my neighbors... some of my colleagues....and at myself as well.

Get the heck out of Dodge.

Like, LEAVE LEXINGTON for a change.
Like, see the rest of the state.
Like, drive a little bit further to talk to other horsemen, ride on a trail ride, participate in a show.

This year the KHC president is from Northern Kentucky. YAHOO! She knows what it is to constantly drive south. Other board members are from Louisville and Shelbyville and Bowling Green and know what it is to constantly drive east. Go to Lexington, the "MECCA" of the horse world. Hmmm...

This needs to be changed.

Yes, Lexington was the site of the World Equestrian Games.
Yes, the Kentucky Horse Park is the best in the country.
Yes, there are a lot of beautiful Thoroughbred farms in Lexington (declining in number now, but still there are a lot in Lexington and surrounding counties)

But really -- where do Kentucky's horsemen live?

The answer: All over the state. Everyone knows that. We know about the concentration of Saddlebreds in Shelby County. The cluster of Eventing and Dressage in Oldham County. The collection of Quarter Horses in western KY counties and Bowling Green area. And trail riders in every nook and cranny of every county.

Being a horsemen is about owning your own horse, caring for it every day (or paying someone to care for it, if you are so lucky to be able to afford that)...riding despite the weather, riding sometimes because of the weather, living through Kentucky winter/spring mud. Fixing your trailer, buying a new bit, scheduling the farrier.

It's also about the horse business. Training horses, instructing riders, breeding horses... and trying to make enough to survive. Watching the feed and bedding bills to figure out the most affordable but healthy choices. Being tied to your cell phone when you leave the barn. Getting calls night and day with concerns or questions, or God forbid, emergencies. Trying to keep up with the latest news in vaccinations, deworming, diseases. Trying to keep connected with your breed organization, your local 4-H horse club, your community.

People all over this Commonwealth are horsemen and horse professionals. Muhlenberg County, Lewis County, Harlan County, Marion County, Campbell County, Boyd County, Warren County...

Get the heck out of Dodge.

It's time to drive west, east, north and south AWAY from Mecca. It's time to meet up with the rest of the world of Kentucky's horses.