Betty White Quotes That Can Make Us Better Horsemen
Today would have been Betty White’s 100th birthday. We want to honor her memory with these quotes that will make us better horsemen and better people.
In honor of what would have been Betty White’s hundredth birthday, I’ve compiled a list of Betty White quotes that can help us all to be better horsemen and better human beings. So, read on, and, if this list inspires you, feel free to make a donation to an animal shelter or rescue in honor of Betty White’s birthday and the #BettyWhiteChallenge.
“Everybody needs a passion. That’s what keeps life interesting. If you live without passion, you can go through life without leaving any footprints.”
Passion for horses is what draws all equestrians together. If we live our lives being true to that passion, then hopefully we can leave our mark on the horse industry. And improve the lives of the people and horses that we work with.
“Retirement is not in my vocabulary. They aren’t going to get rid of me that way.”
I say this all the time to my students. I’m going to be a 90 year old Latin teaching-horseback riding instructor. When you really love what you do, you have no interest in retiring. Besides, we’re horse people, most of us can’t afford to retire or vacation anyway.
“I love children, the only problem with children: they grow up to be people, and I just like animals better than people. It’s that simple.”
For the many, many women in the horse industry, who choose not to have children, this quote rings true. We love our horses and many of us prefer the company of horses to the company of people.
“But sweetie, I don’t think of all this as work. It’s fun. I’m so grateful for my good fortune.”
The horse industry is hard work, but for those of us lucky enough to work with these beautiful animals daily, we should never stop being grateful.
“I know it sounds corny, but I try to see the funny side and the upside, not the downside. I get bored with people who complain about this or that. It’s such a waste of time.”
In this day and age, there’s such a negativity bias. People get attention by complaining. And sometimes the whole world can look and feel a bit bleak. But when you’re working with horses, you learn to be positive and to reward the good moments. If you see the good side of horses, the horse will improve.
“It’s your outlook on life that counts. If you don’t take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find humor in our everyday lives. And sometimes it can be a lifesaver.”
You know that you have to have a sense of humor in the horse business. Because if you don’t have a sense of humor, you’re going to be miserable. But if you can laugh at yourself, and if you find humor in the situation, then it’s easier to keep your emotions in check and your mind and body calm.
“You don’t luck into integrity. You work at it.”
Integrity is something that we could use more of in the horse industry. Some people seem to think you’re either born with integrity or not, but that’s not true. You have to work hard to have integrity.
“Butterflies are like women – we may look pretty and delicate, but baby, we can fly through a hurricane.”
There are some badass, tough women in the horse industry. We may look pretty, and sit a horse elegantly. But you know we can work most people under the table. From chucking hay bales to de-icing buckets, we’re tougher than we look.
“Keep the other person’s well being in mind when you feel an attack of soul-purging truth coming on.”
Especially with the onset of social media, it’s important that you think about what you are going to say before you say it. Will it be well-received by the recipient? Is what you have to say necessary? Or could you just keep scrolling on by?
“You know people who are already saying, ‘I’m going to be 30 – oh, what am I going to do?’ Well, use that decade! Use them all!”
Sometimes age can loom large, and we can get stressed about that next landmark birthday. But you have horsemen out there jumping hedges in their 70s, or galloping race horses in their 80s. Age is just a number, so don’t waste time worrying about it! Get out there and ride!
“I don’t seem to require a lot of sleep… If I get four, five good hours, I’m fine. But sleeping is sort of dull. There’s a lot of other good stuff that you can do without just lying down and closing your eyes.”
If you’ve spent any time working in the horse industry, you know that sleep is for the weak. We’re no stranger to early mornings and late nights, staying up all night with a colic case, or putting in the long hours at a horse show.
“My philosophy for staying young is to act bubbly every day, drink bubbly every birthday!”
Some of us really love wine. Others really love beer. Who knows what fox hunters have in their flasks? But Betty loved bubbly. So, let’s pop a bottle of champagne and celebrate the icon’s 100th birthday!
