“Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try something.”

The quote in the title is by Frederick Smith, the guy who birthed FedEx. I chose it because I need to re-affirm this within myself.

See, I have this irrational fear. The idea of going horse accessory shopping (like boots or a helmet, or proper pants, or just to stare at tack in the hopes of someday having the privelege of spending money on it) well, the idea just scares the heck out of me.

Why? I wish I knew. Well, I know a little bit- I am afraid of looking like a total doofus, and most of the time, in tack shops or horsie shops, there's usually a happy, smiling (usually skinny) woman or girl there who says the four words I dread.

"Can I help you?"

Now, I understand that from their perspective, it means, "do you have any questions or should I leave you alone?" It could also mean, "are you looking for something in particular that I can get for you?"

But my mind, lacking common sense quite a percentage of the time, means, "are you sure you're in the right place, because you SO don't belong here!", or "I bet you don't know diddly about anything in this shop, so can I intimidate you in any way?"

This doesn't make sense- I have only been in one store, looking for boots, and I felt this way. But I can't gripe, since it's not their fault! It's my stupid lack of confidence!! UGH!

Well, I swallowed those uncomfortable feelings, and went to find myself a pair of riding boots. For my past two lessons, I was wearing a pair of what could be described as combat boots. I didn't have anything else, and my teacher said that while they're passable, that the chunky tread on the bottom could be a hazard, since it's designed to be really thick, and really grippy, and that could mean getting stuck in your stirrup, among other issues. Also, those combat boots weigh a TON!

I searched scoured the internet, reading reviews and checking prices. I knew I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money on fancy boots, and I wasn't impressed by the stereotypical "cowboy" boot. I'm just not a cowgirl kinda girl. My eventual goal with horseback riding is to be conquering some forest trails, not dancing around a dressage ring or swooshing around barrels.

So I found the Ariat Terrain endurance boot. It's basically a tweaked out hiking boot, with a trail rider in mind. Now, first, let me say, that I'm not a paid endorser of Ariat, and I really can't endorse them honestly, since I have never ridden in them, or owned them long enough to form an opinion. I just think that for my style, and for the purpose I'd be using boots for, these seem to be the most sensible.

Next, let me say that I'm aware that there are other alternatives to an endurance boot. One of my horse owner friends (ok, my only horse owner friend) said I could find something quite similar for considerably less at a sporting goods store.

But there's something exciting about getting into a hobby and outfitting yourself in the gear that is specially made for your hobby. So I'll give these babies a review in a couple of months and let you know what I think.

But back to my freakazoid side.

I need a helmet too, and I really want to go to my local tack shop and try them on, since they carry a brand that was recommended to me. But I keep finding reasons not to go!!

So I must learn to get over this silliness. Maybe if I wear my new boots I'll feel like less of an outsider...