Why I Was Wrong to Discourage My Daughter’s Passion

When my daughter was 6 years old, my mother offered to buy her a horse.

“Absolutely not.” I said.

“But she loves horses,” my mom insisted. “They’re her passion.”

“Forget it.” I huffed. And sadly, I did everything in my power to discourage my daughter from even thinking about life as an equestrian. I was scared of horses, and I didn’t like riding them. They weren’t my cup of tea.

Luckily, my mother grand-parented my daughter in the way that I should have parented her. And I’m not talking abou...