Hi Reader,

When your kid first started riding, were you as alarmed by the word lame as I was?

I remember hearing it and thinking, Well, that’s it. Pack it up. This horse is done. Dunzo. Retired forever.

Turns out… not so much.

Lame can mean sore muscles. Tender feet for some (usually unknown) reason. A random cut that just needs a little time. Sure, sometimes it's more serious than that, but more often than not, it’s a signal to slow down, assess, and let things settle. Over time. I’ve learned to lower my anxiety a few notches when Phoebe is lame, not quite sound, or a little off.

Which brings me to today’s topic:

What happens when we are the lame ones?

Because let’s be honest, many of us are a little off right now.

Maybe you pulled a muscle GETTING OUT OF BED (why is that even a thing?). Maybe your feet (or your brain) hurt because it’s the busiest season of the year and we are the makers of the magic. Maybe you sliced your finger while cooking a meal (that no one besides your hubs iwill even eat).

There are a million ways to be lame as a Broke Horse Mom.

And right now?

Last week I had two podcast interviews planned - one slated for January and one scheduled to release today. The January one hit a scheduling snag, and the one for today? That landed smack in the middle of the day I pulled a shoe officially went off my game.

If you’re in the 'always on my toes for what's coming next' season of life I’m in (aka...newly 50), this might sound familiar. Hormones, allergies, barometric pressure, stress… they all teamed up and delivered a multi-day, raging headache that refused to be ignored.

So… what do we do when we are lame?

I did what we so often resist doing.

I treated myself like a lame horse.

• I cleared my calendar and rescheduled the interview just like a lame horse skips lessons.
• I worked from bed...aka stall rest.
• I took alllll the medicine (but no bute).
• I let myself rest without trying to power through like nothing was wrong.
• I even asked Chloe to lunge me in the backyard once I was feeling better to make sure I was sound. 🤣

But honestly, here’s the thing I keep coming back to:

• When our horses are off, we don’t shame them.
• We don’t demand they carry on as if nothing is wrong.
• We don’t say, Just try harder.

We give them time, care, and patience.

What if we offered ourselves the same grace?

Being lame doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It doesn’t mean you’re weak.
It usually just means your mind and body are asking for a pause.

So if you’re feeling a little off this week or this season, consider this your permission slip to soften the schedule, lower the bar, and tend to yourself the way you would your favorite horse.

You can Christmas shop from bed using our Holiday Gift Guide. You can order prepared food for the holiday festivities. You can rest on the couch with your kids while watching Home Alone...it's all doable.

We’ll get back to soundness soon enough. 💛

And, if you're resting in bed and want some entertainment, there's this really cool podcast you could listen to all about the stage of life you're living in RIGHT NOW.

It's called BROKE HORSE MOMS and here are the links to give it a listen.

• ​Listen on Apple podcasts​
• ​Listen on Spotify​
• ​Listen on the web​

The next episode will release on Tuesday, January 6th, so you have some time to catch up!

Until then, I'm sending virtual hugs and German horse muffins your way.

xo,
Angie

​https://brokehorsemoms.com/​

P.S. Have a fellow horse mom who needs this reality check (and hope boost)? Forward this their way!

P.P.S. Missed a newsletter? See previous posts here.​