We ushered out a messy, confusing, heartbreaking, side tracked, free falling, wonderous, stubborn 2025 with a determinedly fun and silly ride. We went for it with solid and flexible friends atop the most willing and steady horses a heart could wish for.

These noble steeds are the careful product of countless hours of direct and indirect labor, emotional processing and questioning, tough and entertaining and wonderous miles together, through dripping woods and braided rivers and shifting sand beaches. The friendships are just as hard won and just as precious, the newly found and growing ones and the older growth of longer familiarity.

The year of the horse dawns slowly and carefully, with much forethought and planning and hope, always hope for more of those adventurous miles with our amazing four legged partners. I usually ring in the New Year with a trail ride. Today I’ll go do barn chores a tad early, take my time grooming Tarma and whispering sweet everythings to her. I’ll saddle up slowly and we’ll flip the arena lights on and futz and experiment our way 1% closer to strength and lightness and rhythm. I’ll have goals in mind, I’m human. Tarma will do her damndest to answer my occasionally fumbling questions, then sigh and enjoy her carefully considered and crafted dinner…and one liquid eye will contemplate me as she calmly spits out whatever she doesn’t find pleasing.

I have more questions than answers going into this year, both in my horsemanship and in the greater world, the scary march of our country away from what I have found to be causing the least harm to most. I’m in a better position than so many, yet struggling with that ubiquitous Millennial feeling of being born both too late and too early, trying to enjoy what we’ve earned (both through our own hard work but also through circumstantial privileges afforded to fewer and fewer people) and support those who don’t while our government and status quo is being ripped apart, not for something better but in pursuit of the worst of ourselves.

Wherever this year takes us and whatever fuckery we all have to deal with, may you find some calm and happiness of your chosen stripe. Mine will ever be found in the saddle, seeking the next bend together.