Sept. 30, Ocala, Fla.:
7 a.m., not 7:02 or even a second past 7 would be acceptable for the professional trainers giving us responsibility for their horses’ lives. The first noticeable smell is the freshly mowed grass, and a hint of the lavender that roams in one of the fields the horses graze in. Everything I am required to wear is collared and tucked in, and by the end of the day dirty and worn. All 30 stalls must be cleaned within the first hour, alongside other aspiring equestrians.
It didn’t seem as hot as it was until I realized that leak in the ceiling, always dripping water, was sweat dripping off my face the past hour. By noon, in the South, it’s scary to look at the temperature we’ve been working in. Walking into the air-conditioned room, the bunkhouse, is like coming up for fresh air.
The daily routine of the horse’s outside turnout, feed measurements, designated body wear, and any other significant requests has become implanted into my head. Some days, I only remember to feed the horses instead of myself, or make sure the horse is groomed before I have even brushed my own hair. There have been times when I have caught myself caring for these animals as though they were my own.
When I’m in the stables and take the responsibility for these thousand-pound animals, stress levels rise rapidly. With the combination of the 90-degree, humid air making my body live in constant discomfort and the 14-hour days of hard labor, I stop to ask myself regularly, “What I am doing here?” Then, in that next moment, I climb up on a horse, feel the stress melt out of my body, hear the breathing of the animal, and know everything I did this day has brought me to this feeling of peace and happiness. As we gallop through the fields, the fresh air hits my face and brings me the euphoria I want to have for the rest of my life. That’s when it becomes worth it all.
(Isabella Fabiano is a junior at Lincoln Academy, spending the school year in Ocala, Fla. with Joe Meyer’s Eventing Olympic Training. She is the daughter of Benedict Fabiano, of Westport Island, and Cassandra Van Wickler, of Damariscotta.)