How to Be a Horse Girl, a Mum, a Wife — and Still Show Up for Work

There’s no manual for balancing all the roles we hold. Some mornings start with the smell of hay and the sound of hooves; others begin with a school bag search, a quick email check, and a dash out the door. Somewhere in between, there’s the work — the place where our professional selves are meant to be composed, capable, and focused.

For a long time (though admittedly, it was years ago now), I believed I had to keep those worlds apart. I thought the version of me who led meetings and managed deadlines had to be neatly separated from the one who cleaned my horses’ hooves, wiped small hands, made lunches, did the washing, and navigated the unpredictable rhythms of family life.

Over time, I realised something freeing — those parts of me aren’t in conflict; they complete each other. Even better, I’ve been lucky enough to work not only in an industry that embraces that balance, but for companies that truly do too.

I made a decision back at school that life was meant for living — not being tied to a desk from 9 to 5, day in and day out — and I’ve stuck by that ever since. I’ve just been fortunate enough to make work, work for me.

The Discipline of Care: Lessons From Animals

The discipline and patience I’ve learned through loving, training, and owning animals — not just horses — has shaped how I lead people. You can’t rush a horse; you build trust through consistency, calm, and care.

The same is true in leadership. Real progress comes from steady presence, not force. Animals teach us that leadership is relational — built on empathy, awareness, and trust — not authority.

Through My Pet Life, I’m constantly reminded that our relationships with animals can teach us more about leadership and wellbeing than most corporate frameworks ever will. Animals respond to how we show up, not what we say. They remind us that care, attention, and trust are built in the quiet moments, not the grand gestures.

It’s a form of mindful leadership — leading with patience, awareness, and balance.

Life Lessons From Motherhood and Marriage

Motherhood teaches lessons no leadership book can. The ability to read a situation, to listen beyond words, to adapt when everything changes — those are management skills in their purest form (and let’s be fair, we don’t always get it right!).

Marriage, too, is a daily reminder that collaboration isn’t about control; it’s about respect, communication, and shared growth — exactly what healthy workplace cultures are built on, and what the principles of My Pet Life align to.

These experiences — at home, with animals, and at work — aren’t competing identities. They’re the same lessons expressed in different forms: patience, empathy, and presence.

Presence Over Perfection

Some days, the balance feels effortless. Other days, it’s organised chaos — a coffee gone cold, a meeting joined from the car park, a last-minute dinner thrown together. But each of those moments is part of the same tapestry.

Leadership, like life, isn’t about perfection. It’s about presence — the choice to show up as your whole self, even when it’s messy.

So yes, I’m a horse girl, a mum, a wife, and a professional — and I’m all of them, all at once, unapologetically.

How do you bring your whole self into your work?  And what have animals — or nature — taught you about leading with empathy, patience, and balance?

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