Commitment

For those of you who aren’t completely horsey, the above is an “Equestrian Body Protector.”

We didn’t have these when I was a kid – slap on a helmet, make sure your boots wouldn’t slip through the stirrups, and you were good to go.

Now though, especially since I ride at an eventing barn, these are everywhere.

I’ve thought about getting one but they are not cheap. Not cheap at all. Especially not this lovely version above, which has individual cells that all conform to your body and, to be honest, make it so I can hardly feel the vest when it’s on me (to my surprise).

Thanks to Greenhawk‘s spring sale, I now own the one pictured above. And, yes, I had sticker shock when I saw the price tag, and no, the discount was not large – it covered the sales tax, but I did buy the vest.

Why?

Because it’s a commitment.

I’ve decided to return to showing this year. Not in a big way, but I am entering a show. A home show. For fun. But, still, it’s a commitment.

Because I’m entering a Derby / Radical Jumper class which uses cross-country jumps, I need a vest to be able to compete.

And, yes, some of my lovely, generous riding friends offered to lend me their vests but (a) I’m sure they don’t really want my sweat in their vest, and (b) it’s a commitment. I mean, in theory, I don’t just want to compete in this one show – right?

In theory, I want to keep showing so, at some point, it seems like I should have my own vest.

And now I do. And with what I paid for it, I darn well better register for that show.

So, I think this means I’m showing this spring – yay! And again after this spring, too – fun!

I guess it’s just like with a lot of things:

– Writing – at some point, you just have to hit “publish” on that novel.

– Running – at some point, you just have to register for that 10K.

– Skiing – at some point, you just have to buy all the equipment (my friend Lynn’s family did this, and I’m so happy for them – it means they’ve committed to skiing – yay, Lynn’s skiing family!).

If you really want to do something, at some point there’s a commitment to be made.

For me, for this, it was purchasing Equestrian Body Protection.

So, I’m good to enter a Jumping Derby and / or engage in a firefight. Just joking – the vest isn’t bulletproof – which, when you think about it is a bit crazy since I think a horse’s galloping hoof might hit with more force than a bullet – better not to entertain that train of thought …