Recently I stood in line at the grocery store behind a mom with three kids, ages ranging from toddler to 6 years old. While the kiddos were definitely cute and not necessarily poorly behaved, mom certainly had her hands full.

“I’m hungry.”

“I’m bored.”

“Give me attention!”

Mom looked happy but tired.

Wow, she’s way outnumbered, thought I, who doesn’t have children. I drove home and didn’t think much more about the mom and her children. That was until I got out of the car and saw the three eager faces of my horses looking over the gate.

“I’m hungry.”

“I’m bored.”

“Give me attention!”

Wow, I’m outnumbered, I thought.

Now, I’m not saying that managing my horses is the same or as challenging as raising children of the human variety. But in my world my horses are a huge commitment, both of time and money. And my horses are, basically, my kids.

So how did I, one person with a supportive but fairly nonhorsey husband, end up with three horses?

Well, I bred, raised, and showed my then-Quarter-Horse-futurity-prospect, Jack, who’s now 11 years old.

Then I started competing him at the lower levels of dressage.

My husband and I moved to a small horse property, and it’s best not to keep a horse alone.

So, I bought Marathon, a Hanoverian with super gaits, to go up the levels in dressage.

Marathon went lame, and I spent more than a year with my veterinarians and farrier trying to get him sound.

To lift my spirits and have a h