By Hannah Burchfield, The Oily Stable

Bravery is super important for equestrians because you're riding a 1,000 pound animal that could take off or do anything in a second. We can train them all we want, but horses are innately unpredictable.

I was in a car wreck in February and I didn't want ride my horse after because I was scared a noise or something he did would scare me and make me panic. When I first got on, I had to be brave so my horse wouldn't react in fear, it was hard but every time I got back on, it got better. My increasing bravery helped my horse be brave, so that we were both calm and able to perform well together.

Sometimes we have things we are scared to do but we have to do anyway to move up and move on.

Bravery isn't the lack of fear, it's deciding to keep trying, moving, and trusting in the presence of fear. Bravery allows us to grow and become the best versions of ourselves we can be, bringing us closer to our horses at the same time.

I have grown a lot in my life and with horses this year. Overcoming obstacles have helped me grow. To be brave it takes making that mental switch of not giving up and moving on.