When we moved to SC in 2013, I knew nobody. Making a new friend as an adult in a new place is difficult. Add to that a toddler, being the employer so can’t make friends with work mates, and not being into things most people like such as drinking and watching TV and it was looking pretty dire. After six months of riding alone, I took to a local FB endurance group asking for someone to ride with and a woman named S responded.
What grew from that is a wonderful friendship that is still going strong 3 years later and has blossomed beyond trail riding together to spending time having lunch dates, going to Grand Prix shows and buying WEG tickets together. When her horse recently coliced, I ran out there in the dark and hand walked her horse while she called her vet and gave her moral support through the ordeal. When my first farm fell through, she was there to listen to me whine.
Her knowledge base is invaluable as well. She knows every trail, endurance ride, manager, vet, farrier and show ground within 6 hours of here. When we found our next farm, she knew the entire history of the place based on previous shows it held there. I don’t know how she does it, but she knows just about everything regarding horses in the southeast.
We don’t always see eye to eye and we haven’t actually ridden together in well over a year now, but no matter what we talk about or how long it has been we always pick up right where we left off like no time has passed at all. I am so glad she responded to my plea.
I don’t post pictures of other people without their permission, so no pictures for you. Believe me, she does actually exist though!
The Roaming Rider 
it is great having friends you can count on (HA I read whine as wine in the part about the farm LOL) and I am glad you have her and vice versa!!
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Wine works too.
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Hi, for some reason I can leave a comment on your blog, but I cannot view comments: ( I wanted to say I blogged about you this week, and I’m wearing my “Just Chaps” half chaps that just arrived today, based on your blog. I got the “cool” model, which is similar to the mesh, I think, perforated faux suede. I had to pay 10 pounds shipping for a 23 pound product, thank God for the Brexit, cuz that would have been a lot more in Euros beforehand. I’m not able to ride my horse, but I can wear my cool chaps around the house: )
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I have no clue why that is. I’m completely computer stupid. I’m sure there is something I did wrong to make that happen.
I hope you love them! Mine are so comfy even in the disgusting summer.
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Why is making friends as an adult so challenging sometimes? Sounds like you found a wonderful buddy in S tho! Those riding friends are so so so invaluable!
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Right? Nobody warns you of that
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Horse friends are the best! Without them (and crossfit friends for me), I’d have exactly zero. Moving to Concord in 2014, being the boss, having 2 kids…tack onto that that I’m a total introvert and socially awkward, things like making friends don’t come so easily. Love the friends that you don’t need to talk to everyday also!
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Yes! They understand the insanity like no one else could
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hear hear! it’s really hard to start over again in a new place and meet new friends!!! Thank goodness for horses though! The friends I’ve made here have been through pony club/horse masters and other various horse things 🙂
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Trainer keeps trying to get me to joins pony club masters. I’m thinking I might make some good friends that way
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I am currently in the new place, no friends situation. I’m friendly with everyone at work, but I didn’t choose them, ya know? It will happen soon enough I guess. Once I actually have time to socialize rather than work. Glad you have a great friend in S! And you know they are a real friend when you don’t see them for a while & pick up right where you left off. Happy late Thanksgiving!!
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Work people are hard. You have work in common but a lot of times that ends up being it. Good luck! Where are you now? Close enough to meet up some time for a ride??
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It’s so hard to make friends as an adult. And I also dislike drinking/partying so that makes it even harder. I found a lot of my friends through meetup when we moved to CA. It’s mostly useless for riding, but I’ve met none riding people through it.
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What is meetup? Is it an app for friendship versus hooking up?
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I wish that app existed! It’s a website for groups. I belong to some for board gaming, some for women in their 30s, others for dog hiking, etc. I have managed to make friends with some people that I met at meetups. I have joined some riding ones, but they’re not used much.
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