With a little help from my friends

Especially when they're starting out, a lot of performance showers say they want to create every piece of their entries themselves.

They want to sculpt/customize/paint their own horses,

make their own tack,

and build their own props, 

They even want to dress their own dolls, which is craziness, obviously.

It's a big goal - a noble goal - and I can think of a handful of showers who have achieved it, even at the highest levels. Laura Skillern...

and Hanna Bear come to mind.

If you're reading this, Hanna, we miss you!

Tiffany Purdy can do it all, too. She just doesn't like to.

But here's the thing: There's just so much stuff that goes into a modern, top-level performance string. 

It's really hard for anyone - no matter how motived and talented - to make everything themselves.

In my life, I have customized and painted a lot of horses, built a lot of props and made a lot of tack.

I have made so, so, so much tack.

And yet, probably every entry I have ever put on a show table has had at least one element made by someone else.

Sometimes a lot of someone elses.

In 2011, I wrote a post-show piece thanking the creators of every single part of my performance entries, all the way down to the bridle number I borrowed for the dressage class.

It was a fun exercise, but also, an important one. Instead of just looking at the ribbons, I try to see the artists, the people, the friends behind every entry.

If you have the time, talent and motivation to make every single part of every single one of your entries, I salute you. Please, carry on.

But for the rest of us, there's nothing wrong with showing other people's work.

Even if you bought - or borrowed - every single piece of your performance entry, you're the one who put it together. That's a really important part of the total set-up. Don't discount your contribution.

Thanks again - thanks forever - to all the artists and friends who have provided me with horses, tack, props and dolls. I have loved playing performance with you!