I won't talk to strangers and I prefer to be left alone most of the time but... ASK ME ABOUT MY HORSES and I will talk for hours. You don't have to tell me your name, I probably won't tell you my name, but I will tell you how horses can change your life.
I won't pretend to know everything about horses but I do know that horses can help heal a person's heart and soul. I can also tell you that some horse people will rip out your heart and soul faster than a horse will. Don't be afraid to listen to the opinions of other horse people but make sure you listen to your horse more. Every horse person has their own opinion on everything horse related. What you do needs to be based on what works best for you and your horse, not somebody's opinion.
If you ask someone what the best type of saddle is they may tell you that they like English all purpose synthetic saddles because they can really feel the horse moving under them and it helps them communicate better. If you plan to run barrels this isn't going to work for you. You need a western saddle, but maybe you want to consider the idea of feeling your horse more so you may want to consider a light-weight or synthetic western saddle. Or maybe somebody says they prefer an endurance style western saddle, which may not work for you if you plan to do dressage.
When you choose a bit you need to consider how sensitive and responsive your horse is, whether you tend to ride with light or heavy hands, and if you want your horse "on the bit" or will be riding on a loose rein. Even the type of halter you use depends on you and your horse.
Feeding and daily care of horses also needs to be refined to meet the needs of you and your horse. There are some basics like water and forage that every horse needs but the different types of forage and the amount depend on so many things.
Horse people have a lot of opinions and some of them feel very strongly about their opinions but just remember that your horse has the best opinion.
Help me choose the topic of my next post. What things do you want me to give my opinion on?