January 21, 2016 
Upstate New York is a special place to grow up, and an even better place to learn how to ride. Here are 16 reasons why.
1. Going to the barn “for a bit” meant arriving at 8 a.m. and leaving at 5:30 p.m.
(flickr.com/carterse)
You packed a lunch, but your horse ate most of it.
2. Your “school horses” were newly minted OTTBs from Finger Lakes or Saratoga.
(flickr.com/Five Furlongs)
Warmblood shwormblood. Now those horses were athletic.
3. You knew the schooling ring at the local horse show was just a trap set by the judges to test your mental fortitude.
Strength and honor.
4. Hometown girl Beezie Madden was your childhood hero.
Your esteem has only grown with age.
5. You knew February horse shows in Upstate were the place to go to chase your points for the year.
(flickr.com/nosha)
The only requirement for leaving with all the points was showing up.
6. Your indoor arena wasn’t big enough for lunging, so on busy lesson days in the winter, you “warmed up” your horses the old-fashioned way.
(flickr.com/smerikal)
Wind ’em up and let ’em go. (Also, hold on. Tight.)
7. At 11 a.m. on show mornings, your horse-loving grandparent would bring bags of donuts and sub sandwiches from Wegmans.
(flickr.com/Chris Waits)
And everyone would be happy, at least for a time.
8. You were a card-carrying member of your local 4-H Horse Chapter.
You pledged your Head to clearer thinking, your Heart to greater loyalty, and your stomach to the Christmas parties, which were so on point.
9. You had no confusion about the meaning behind The Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face” [When I’m With You].
He was just talking about going to see your horse in January.
10. Fall hunter paces were the equestrian equivalent of a coming-of-age ritual.
(flickr.com/Beau Considine)
You brought your show horse, doused both your bodies in fly spray, and headed out into the wilderness with nothing but the faintest flicker of hope that you might actually return alive.
11. You’ve purchased one of these.
Winter Cozy Helmet Cover (via statelinetack.com)
#sorrynotsorry
12. You ordered a coney for lunch at the horse show.
(flickr.com/Steven Depolo)
Because WTF is a white hot anyway?
13. You never missed a single day of the Syracuse Invitational.
You ugly cried when the National Horse Show moved to Kentucky and it stopped running.
14. Your trainer let you learn every critical aspect of course design the hard way.
(flickr.com/FancyShots)
“Is that a 3-stride or a 4-stride line to the end jump? Ah hell. Let’s just ride it and see!”
15. You horse showed at the Great New York State Fair. Then you swore you’d never do it again.
(via flickr.com/Phil Roeder)
Then you signed up again the following summer.
16. You know “snow days” were meant for racing your barn BFF across a snowy field.
(flickr.com/Tom Sayles)
Nothing you’ve done since on a horse has been quite as much fun.
