# Don't shut me down



## stormyweather101 (Nov 9, 2009)

So, I had a post before asking how I could "make it big" in the horse world.
I've decided to still follow my dream, even though I was shut down by many people saying I need to have a family with money. I have a great trainer who was on the olympic team and was trained by George Morris(SO COOL!) who is letting me lease her beautiful pony Jilly. I don't want to sound stupid by asking if she could help me be a better and more elite rider because I am just a chicken when it comes to things like that. I do not want to be laughed at or her secretly thinking that I'm a lunatic. So I just need some advice or encouragement, because I am also afraid to tell my parents this.You guys have been great help to me so far and I have wanted to be a rider for my whole life. My mom and dad are divorced so it's rare that they are seen together with eachother unless there is a fight between them. All I want to do is be pushed to be a great rider by someone but never have. So, I envy half of your guys on here who grew up with horse parents so please bring on the advice and whatever else you can add on This place is like my horse life saver!


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## RadHenry09 (Mar 22, 2009)

I think you should go to the trainer and explain this to her. Perhaps there is someway that you can work off some training/lessons? I dont think that you should feel ashamed that you want to go far as a rider. If I am understanding your post correctly. Could you be a working student in exchange for her knowledge and training? If you put in the time, and effort although it may take a while it def will benefit you in the end. You will become a better rider just because of that!
Money does help .....I grew up around horses and had many family members who rode . My daughter rides, takes lessons, and is starting to do a few local/open shows. I want her to be the best that she can be....We dont have a lot of money. That all goes back into the care of the horses, boarding , etc...what is left over goes to lesson , training etc...sometimes there isnt a lot left over. If I could give her more money wise she would be accomplishing more perhaps, but she has learned so much confidence, problem solving skills and is growing into a mature young lady because we have had to do a lot of the work ourselves. It has been my experience that the more money you have the less brains you seem to have. JMO good luck with your endeavors!


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

Define "make it big".


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## Carleen (Jun 19, 2009)

Don't be afraid to let your trainer know how far you want to go - she's the best person to help you with that.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

upnover said:


> Define "make it big".


Ditto.


To become a truly professional rider, you will need to ride multitudes of horses of different ages and experiences, sit on the lunatics to the schoolmasters, the lazy fat ones to the racehorses. Get you backside on as many horses as you can. ONCE you have become a competent rider on your own and with lessons. 
You can have the dream to make it big, but it's not a case of just asking a trainer to teach you have to be fantastic on a pony. You need to get the hours under your belt and the experience to go with it. You sound very young, I'd say you've got plenty more years of experience to go, you're not going to fall off your perch any time soon so no rush.

However money is a requirement unfortunately, as much as you don't want to hear it. In Australia, we have done super well internationally with eventing with most of the team made up of ottb's that the riders have picked up for doggers money. Yes, the horse buying bit can be cheap, but to have the ability to turn that cheap, 'dog' into a star is a whole new kettle of fish. It's not a case of the black stallion, kid has dream and kid tames who who wins everything. It doesn't happen like that. The elite riders have generally worked their backsides off, ridden so many different horses, hooned around paddocks bareback on bucking ponies and ridden some real lunatics. The eventers have more of a chance of 'making it big' than the dressage and show jumpers do, dressage in particular is a very elitist sport when you hit the higher levels. And even now leaking into the young rider classes are super expensive, imported horses that have been trained piaffe in hand in Germany. You can't expect to 'make it big' against people in these disciplines who have mega bucks, no matter hpw good you are, unless you hit it REALLy lucky and get a place as a rider for an elite stable/stud. And even to do that, you need a proven track record as a performance rider, which requires money if you want to be out there beating everyone.

Yep there's the exceptions. We've got a local girl on her ottb/ex eventer who is now competing PSG/inter 1 with great success, but not when pitted against the absolute top of the imports. 

Money is a HUGE advantage in the competitive/professional horse world unfortunately.


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## IllComeALopin (Apr 6, 2010)

I'll be honest with you, there was a time when I sounded just like you. An Underdog, I was ready to show people what I was made of and I wanted nothing else but to show, show, show and get myself out there. I wanted to show western pleasure mostly at Quarter Horse shows and when I took the trip to Congress in Ohio I was even more gun ho to get myself there...


THEN... I worked at two different barns, cleaning stalls, that took horses to Worlds and Congress. The horses were mostly shown in Western Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle, and/or Showmanship or Halter. There was not ONE horse in either barn that I would have wanted... not one. They cribbed and weaved, they kicked, they bit. They were hardly ever turned out and spent most of the time wrapped up in wraps and blankets in a stall. The ground manners SUCKED to say the least, they would run past you, buck, and rear on the ground... and the horses were all together unhappy compared to the Local shown, 4h'ers, and trail horses I was riding and training in the past... 

...but they did win pretty consistantly... 

I think at small barns things are more than likely different, but this is what I saw. Take it with a grain of salt.

I would never go back. I'll keep my local showing, 4h, trail riding, happy all around horses instead (and even some 4h people take it to far!). 

When money gets involved its no longer a passion its job and you do what you have too in order to eat and put money in your pocket to survive... I never want to get like that, ever.


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

Illcomalopin: I TOTALLY agree with you! I don't want to have to rely on my horses to make a living for me. I want to be able to make the living so I can enjoy them and keep them happy little trail horses who get turned out every day. I don't want them to have to spend everyday in the stall all wrapped up just so they don't get dirty. I WANT my horses to be dirty, that means I get to spend more time with them lol. I love my dirty horses!!!


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Sorry dear, but you _will_ need money, lots of it, to show at the upper levels.

The really elite riders have sponsors, but they have to pay their own way for a very long time and prove themselves before that happens.

Didn't you just post a thread about continuously looking down while riding a course? You're going to need to get much better at just the basics before you start dreaming about riding for a living.

As has already been noted, the great riders ride all kinds, breeds, and types of horses during the formative part of their careers. They live and breathe _nothing_ but horses during that time. No hanging with friends, no parties, no vacations, just horses.

Even if you have natural talent, that will only take you so far. Drive, dedication, and a sterling work ethic are all required to make it as an elite rider in _any_ discipline.

If you have all of those qualities, you _might_ be able to make a career of riding.

You're also going to have to overcome your shyness if you want to make it in the horse world. Being meek and timid will get you exactly nowhere.

If your trainer was tutored by GM and was an Olympic rider, ask _her_ what she thinks of your potential. She'll have a better idea than anyone.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

My thoughts:

Don't ever give up the dream. Tell your trainer that you have plans to "make it big" in the horse world. You don't have to decide what that means right now, Right now making it big should simply mean, having a career in the horse world.

To make it big in competition there are many factors that will have to come into play, money is a big one, the right trainer, the right people, the right horse, talent is a must... etc.

In order to make it big in the horse world wether it be in competition, breeding, training, boarding, whatever, the biggest thing is that you have a back-up plan. You either have to be independently wealthy or you have to have an education. Times get tough. Even my trainer owns a tack shop that provides a definite income. As a rider or a trainer, one simple injury could destroy a bank-account and end a career in horses.

Keep up the dream, but get an education and some "real world" skills in case you need them.

Good luck!


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## stormyweather101 (Nov 9, 2009)

Thanks guys. And yes I did have a post about my eyes because I have a habit of it on the ground too. I try my hardest to live and breathe horses and have ridden quite an array of them throughout my years. I started schooling ponies when I was 8 but I do not get paid for training them. =/ and I forgot to mention that I have 5 jobs at my barn. But you get paid in "Barn bucks" and not real money


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Well sounds like you're off to a good start riding a few ponies. But when you add another 100 or so horses from crazy ponies, to breakers, to ottbs, to warmbloods... THEN you can start to call yourself experienced enough to consider a professional career. You can't expect to get paid for riding ponies at 8 years old, you do not 'train' as an 8 year old you're only just learning how to stay on. The most I've been paid to ride a horse for someone is $20 a ride, and I got that horse from straight ott to training elementary and some medium dressage movements, competed etc. 
Also, you may be able to stick on these horses, but can you actually get them working correctly, engaged, through etc.? Or take a lunatic ottb from nothing to an experienced showjumper? 

There are so many factors to take into consideration. Also be aware that it means LONG hours, try getting up at 5am and working through to 6pm 6 days a week, on next to no pay.
As a kid, you should be focussing on doing well at school, getting a job so that you can pay to get a more advanced horse when you're ready, and then getting into university or a well paying profession so you can build up your money. You're going to want a VERY well paying job and unfortunately this does not come from doing odd jobs around horses.


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## stormyweather101 (Nov 9, 2009)

I have a job working on saturdays, sundays, tuesdays, thursdays, and fridays at my barn. it doesnt pay anything. and what I was talking about at 8 wasnt to get paid lol. sorry for the misunderstanding. i was just saying that I started schooling ponies at age 8. haha i would never expect someone to payy me for that at that young of an age. it was just doing baby cross rails on little ponies who took off with other riders. and where could I find opportunities to ride different arrays of horses such as the ones listed about? i have ridden a few but not NEARLY as much as i need to. we dont have many crazy horses at our barn, and if we do its because they are completely unridable by anyone.


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## travlingypsy (Apr 5, 2008)

A lot of good advice. Speaking as an underdog I know where your coming from, sorta, im old so its eaiser with getting a paying job. 
Kayty said to study hard, go to a univesity so you can get a high paying job. Thats so true! Your focus should be on school first and finishing that so you can get into a good college, one with an awesome riding program maybe? If you have good grades, GPA and active do more horse things,camps,volunteer..ect. You can apply for student grants, loans to afford those great colleges. No one told me that I could get grants or even think of being able to afford student loans because of that I always thought college was out of reach. Even if a huge college isnt your dream, still consider going to a community college at least to get a degree in bussiness or something of interest that will help you form a good solid backup plan for bringing in that money if you cant land that dream team with training or going to the olypmics with sponors.

Knowledge is key to unlocking life. If you REALLY want it and cant think of anything els in the world to do other then working with horses. Start indulging in the studies of horses. Try and learn as much as you can now and never stop studying until you die!  no im just kinda kidding, lol. Like the rest have said experiance! Try and get as much as you can, soak it all up! Also dont be afraid to be yourself! Dont worry about what the other people at your barn think of you, unless your being mean then thats not going to get you anywhere. But dont be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and push your self to those next limits cause your going to have to! 

Have you told your trainer how far you want to go and your dreams, yet? I told mine that I wanted to be a horse trainer she didnt support that but I got over it and still going to go through with my goals. As of this day shes not my trainer :wink: Dont let those people bring you down. Theres always another road to take you might have to jump over a log to get to the right one, but isnt it worth it? What are "barn bucks"? Does that go toward lessons or your lease? Is there anyway you can become a groom or stall cleaner or something to afford those extra lessons? Heck, you never know if you tell your trainer you dream and prove to her that you WANT it. She might take you under her wing and maybe you could apprentice for her down the line. You never know of the opportunities untill you start seeking them. 
Oh god, this is another long post sorry ive been in a very inspirational mood tonight plus Ive got to much energy from coffee makes it easier to type a lot!


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## Citrus (Feb 26, 2010)

IllComeALopin said:


> I'll be honest with you, there was a time when I sounded just like you. An Underdog, I was ready to show people what I was made of and I wanted nothing else but to show, show, show and get myself out there. I wanted to show western pleasure mostly at Quarter Horse shows and when I took the trip to Congress in Ohio I was even more gun ho to get myself there...
> 
> 
> THEN... I worked at two different barns, cleaning stalls, that took horses to Worlds and Congress. The horses were mostly shown in Western Pleasure, Hunter Under Saddle, and/or Showmanship or Halter. There was not ONE horse in either barn that I would have wanted... not one. They cribbed and weaved, they kicked, they bit. They were hardly ever turned out and spent most of the time wrapped up in wraps and blankets in a stall. The ground manners SUCKED to say the least, they would run past you, buck, and rear on the ground... and the horses were all together unhappy compared to the Local shown, 4h'ers, and trail horses I was riding and training in the past...
> ...


 
I agree with this for myself, but have never worked in a show barn. That being said...

-OP- there is a movie where the dad says to the son "Don't let anyone, even me, ever get in the way of your dreams"..... Build a plan- literally write it down so you have guidelines when you are down or when you want to give up. I encourage you to whole heartedly follow your dreams. YOU can do it!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Citrus said:


> I agree with this for myself, but have never worked in a show barn. That being said...
> 
> -OP- there is a movie where the dad says to the son "Don't let anyone, even me, ever get in the way of your dreams"..... Build a plan- literally write it down so you have guidelines when you are down or when you want to give up. I encourage you to whole heartedly follow your dreams. YOU can do it!


Yup   

Do it in small chunks. Things appear so much harder when you look at them as a whole. Looking at my major uni assignment right now, and as a whole, there is a HELL of a lot to do, I feel stressed, rushed and panicked, 4000 words in 2 weeks with tables, diagrams and charts. However, using my normal technique of breaking it down into bite sized chunks, I can get the job done with the stress level.

Write down your specific goal. What discipline do you want to specialise in? Do you want to be a professional horse trainer, rider trainer or competition rider? 
Then work back from there, the steps that are needed to get you to that point. So the first one may be perfectly your own riding goals. You say you always look down, so the first may be LOOK UP. Focus on your position, once you perfect your position then start the next goal, maybe working on collection, getting a perfect form over a fence, etc. Build it up in bite sized chunks. You will feel a much greater sense of achievement when you get to mark off each goal, you'll see yourself getting closer to that ultimate goal and feel more inclined to keep working at it as you reach closure on each goal you have set yourself.
Don't make your goals too big, if you have to work too hard and find them unacheivable in one step, break it down into two smaller steps. 

best of luck. Don't let people tell you it's impossible. But DO listen to the advice given. You have to go into it with as much information as possible and take off the rose coloured glasses to realise it is by far a horrendously difficult journey.


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## stormyweather101 (Nov 9, 2009)

travlingypsy said:


> A lot of good advice. Speaking as an underdog I know where your coming from, sorta, im old so its eaiser with getting a paying job.
> Kayty said to study hard, go to a univesity so you can get a high paying job. Thats so true! Your focus should be on school first and finishing that so you can get into a good college, one with an awesome riding program maybe? If you have good grades, GPA and active do more horse things,camps,volunteer..ect. You can apply for student grants, loans to afford those great colleges. No one told me that I could get grants or even think of being able to afford student loans because of that I always thought college was out of reach. Even if a huge college isnt your dream, still consider going to a community college at least to get a degree in bussiness or something of interest that will help you form a good solid backup plan for bringing in that money if you cant land that dream team with training or going to the olypmics with sponors.
> 
> Knowledge is key to unlocking life. If you REALLY want it and cant think of anything els in the world to do other then working with horses. Start indulging in the studies of horses. Try and learn as much as you can now and never stop studying until you die!  no im just kinda kidding, lol. Like the rest have said experiance! Try and get as much as you can, soak it all up! Also dont be afraid to be yourself! Dont worry about what the other people at your barn think of you, unless your being mean then thats not going to get you anywhere. But dont be afraid to get out of your comfort zone and push your self to those next limits cause your going to have to!
> ...


 You have brightened my day and yes i am a stall mucker, i braid, i run with little kids in lessons that cant control horses yet, and barn bucks are fake "barn money" that can be used towards extra lessons but not your regular one. I am saving up to get a couple lessons because its 28 for a whole month so that means you have to work 28 hours at the barn. its kind of tricky but I LOVE your post


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## Trissacar (Apr 19, 2009)

GOOD FOR YOU! Follow that dream!
Advice: Make as many connections as possible.


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## travlingypsy (Apr 5, 2008)

-Stormy Im glad I gave you some hope! Also remember as you get older the better chances you have with apprenticing or getting better lessons, the more independant you are the easier it gets because you can have that extra job money if your parents cant support your horse dreams. And I know that part of the bit, my parents are divorced.. living with my mom ect. So I had to get a working student job to be able to get back into horses. If I can do it, so can you! I bet you'll get far your on the right track.


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## horsequeen373 (Oct 4, 2009)

Not only do you want to get experience riding different horses but you just want experience in different areas of the horse world. You said your already helping with younger riders, taking care of horses and stuff which is great. Keep it up. But you could always expand--take some lessons in a different disipline, help at a theraputic riding program if there's one if your area, etc. 

I personally don't want to be a professional rider, I love and am totally content with schooling shows jumping 2'3". But I do want to be a riding instructor when I'm older at my barn (the highest my barn jumps is 2'3"). Even though I won't be training riders who are jumping higher then 2'3", I'll still need the experience of jumping higher. I am at my barn as much as I can during the school year but during breaks and summer I'm there at 8 every morning until about 9 at night. I LOVE helping with lessons and helping with anything else at the barn. But I know that while I should presue my dream, sometimes there might be road blocks. So I plan on going to college and doing a double major in Equine Studies and Computer Engineering. So I get experience in the horse world and can presue my dream, but still have something to fall back on if it doesn't work out.


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## stormyweather101 (Nov 9, 2009)

My parents are also divorced like gypsy and they cant be in a room together without having a screaming argument, so its hard to talk about this stuff with them. sometimes i wish i lived with one parent or my parents were back together because itd be alot easier, and we'd acctually have the money for a horse, but because of the whole "I have rto pay for a house and food on my own" thing I dont even bother bringing up the "BUY ME A HORSE!" subject.


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## travlingypsy (Apr 5, 2008)

But your leasing a mare right? In a way leasing can better help you right now. Because once you out grow that horse you can find another one to lease. And if you had your own horse. You might out grow it and maybe its not able to get into those higher levels that you want and may have to sell. I know its nice to have your own horse. But leasing is great to. Unless you can afford to have more then one horse at a time...


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## ChingazMyBoy (Apr 16, 2009)

I want to make it to the top -- Of What I can get to -- To get to a high level you need to make sacrafices, just to be able to start in pony club I have put my horse up for sale, whom I love dearly. But he also has behaviour problems, but I want to get out compete while I'm at this age and get into the feel of things, with my horse it would be another two years before we even do little comps, so that means I wouldn't be competing till I was 15. So I made the choice to sell my best friend and get a more advanced horse. Sacrifice one. 

I do not have a social life, I go to school, I do homework then I eaither ride or help teach at my riding school to get more experiance. Weekends are spent doing hours of training, washing horses, cleaning tack, riding other peoples horses for experiance. Then I'm to stuffed to go party with my friends. Sacrifice  two. 

Money, while my sister wastes her money on crap, mine goes into a jar for comp fee's or towards new riding gear. I'm lucky that my parents help me out incredibly with affording my horse and they pay for feed, major tack and agistment. But if I need a new saddle blanket, I pay for it. Sacrifice Three.

But it can all "Fall over" on top of you easily, I've spent just over a year now training my TB, now he's for sale. Not a complete waste, I learnt alot. But I could have easily gotten a better horse straight up and would be competeing by now. But I am in the process of starting again with a more advanced horse and I will get somewhere.

Basically what I'm trying to say is, its not easy but don't give up. Don't give yourself massive goals. Eg: The olympics. Give yourself smaller goals like placing in an event and slowly build up your goals and one day you might get there. Its tough and not everyone gets there. I dream to make the olympics but at the moment I have my goal on finding a horse that can get me in the show ring. Don't give up, but don't exspect the impossible from yourself.


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## Rule of Reason (Feb 11, 2010)

Okay, here's my two cents. Actually it's going to be about $2 worth, so be warned.

I am 100% behind you following your dream. Too many people let themselves get shot down. What it means, though, is that you have to have TOTAL commitment to your dream. For you to have total commitment, you have to know EXACTLY what you want. What is "a great rider"? Put your dream into numbers. "I want to ride in the Olympics in 2020." Not "I want to ride with George Morris," because George Morris is going to ask you what your goal is. "I want to be in the ribbons at the A circuit shows within 5 years." Not "I want to be a horse trainer." 

There's nothing wrong with those less defined goals--except that you're less likely to achieve them. In order to excel at any sport, you need to work harder and longer than everyone else. Another George Morris quote is something to the effect that he had no natural talent, but he was persistent. Pick any top athlete, look into his or her life story, and you'll find that they devote HUGE amounts of time and effort to their sport. The better they are, the more they go beyond what everyone else does. Yes, it requires money. But one thing other people aren't mentioning is the domino effect. If you demonstrate your commitment, it will show. The people around you will notice--especially if you have a good attitude and don't complain. You keep working your butt off, keep looking for and making the most of every small opportunity, and people will start thinking, there's someone who would benefit from my help. The trainers/instructors/barn owners/horse owners with the most to offer you are in great demand. You have to show them that you're worth their while. If you show them an ability to learn and a huge commitment to your own future in horses, opportunities will open up that you'd never imagine were there.

Here's an example. When my daughter was about your age she was saying kind of the same thing. She took lessons and had some natural ability, but money was an issue. One spring I was helping with a dressage show and went to pick up the judge from the airport. On the ride back, my daughter talked to this well-respected judge about her dream. The judge explained that she would have to work really hard and spend a lot of time at the barn learning everything--pretty much what I've just said. My daughter made some excuses about how she couldn't fit everything into her schedule, how could she afford it, etc. I was embarrassed. The judge was telling her hard truths in the kindest way she knew, but my daughter's commitment wasn't the equal of her dream. 

Now, that's perfectly fine. Nobody *needs* to be a great rider, or even ride at all. And it's perfectly okay to change your mind about what your dream is. Just understand that you can never get outstanding results unless you put outstanding effort into it. And that doors open when they're ready.


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## dantexeventer (Jul 11, 2009)

I agree with everything that's been said, and will add my POV - be prepared to give up EVERYTHING except horse. That includes parental support, friends, free-time, sick-days, sleep, love of riding at times, bones, soundness of mind and body, etc. etc. etc. Get a working student job over the summer - practically everyone who rides goes through the "I absolutely want to be an Olympian, no questions asked" phase. Mine lasted for 18 years before I decided that yes, I still want to reach the top levels, but I also want to write, paint, travel - so I'm going to college and exploring ALL my options. And believe me, I was DIEHARD about the Olympics thing. I graduated at 16 to move 800 miles away and be a working student. 
First things first, though - being an elite rider takes guts. It takes strength of character. It takes pushiness to get noticed. If you're too afraid to ask your instructor for some extra tutelage, then you've got a major disadvantage. If you really want this, the rest of your life will constitute pushing other people out of the way to get the opportunities you want.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

lol, I remember when I wanted to make it big. I remember I wante to ride beside Ian Millar in the Olymics and be a regular competator in the GP ring at Spruce Meadows.

I remember my Mom teasing me saying "By the time you make it there, Ian will bein a wheel chair" lol.

Yeah, it is very hard work to make it to the "top". No kidding here, it really is. It is VERY competative, you will be up against THOUSANDS of other riders who are wealthy, who are talented and who have been in the game since they were in their single digits in age. Very competative, very tough, very demanding, very draining, very involved.

It's not an easy world, nor is it a friendly world - so be prepared. It is all fine and dandy sitting here at home infront of your computer saying "oh yeah, I can do it" until you are actually face to face with it.

My Suggestion is become a full time working student for a "Big Named" rider. Like Beezie Madden, Ian Millar, Rodrigo Pessoa, Erik Lamaze, Beth Underhill and the list goes on. I know many who are climbing the ladder in levels by being working students - but that's not easy either. Many of these "big named" riders are not fun to work for, and are very hard on you mentally and physically to ensure that you are doing your job 100%, and riding 100% under them - but that's also alot of money because you have to pay them $ a month to stay with them, yes, even when you are a working student.

Can it be done, yes, it can. You have to be that 1 special person inside who can do it, and that person is far and few between the normality of the horse world. 

Remember, when you are a working student, you are working amongst other people just like you, who are striving to be the "one".

I'm not trying to scare you, but I am wanting you to wake up to reality and be aware of what it really is like out there in the cometative world of being "a top rider".


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## upnover (Jan 17, 2008)

Don't forget there's a very very big difference between "making it big" and "being successful" in the horse world. (not that I quite know what you mean by 'make it big') I actually had a long conversation with John Madden (Beezie's husband) about the realities of a person "making it big". Think about it this way... how many players play in the NFL? A LOT. And they play in the Super Bowl EVERY YEAR. How many riders are on an Olympic riding team? Like... 5? And they ride every 4 years. Statistically, it is very VERY difficult to make it to the top. He also mentioned there are a lot more riders then horses out there. You may very well be one of the best riders in the country, doesn't mean you can find something that has the scope to make it to the Olympics. 

It is extremely difficult to be the top, BUT it's not nearly as difficult to say, be a Grand Prix rider. I would consider that to be a successful rider, and that's a goal that I think is actually achievable with LOTS of hard work, the right connections, etc etc. It is also an achievable goal to be a very successful trainer or instructor. John also said that he wasn't good enough to be very successful rider (he also comes from no money) but he realized he could do very well as a seller/importer of the top horses in the world. I would say he is at the very top of his field. He's just not a rider.


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## stormyweather101 (Nov 9, 2009)

thanks guys and how did you get to meeting John Madden? Beezie is my hero and I LOVE Authentic!


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## dantexeventer (Jul 11, 2009)

To add to what upnover said, once you get to the level to be noticed by team selectors, money becomes a HUGE thing. For one thing, they want to see you all over the country all year at the big shows, and perhaps spending some time in Europe too. And they want you to not only have one Olympic candidate horse (worth well over $500,000) but at least two or three so that you'll be a reliable team member. They can't select people who don't have backup horses, because if they only have one and the horse goes lame, the team is up the creek without a paddle. So keep that in mind. 
Getting a working student position is far and away the best thing you can do. Depending on your discipline I know several Olympic-level riders personally and would be happy to give you the "inside scoop" about what you can expect at each place. Every barn conducts the working student positions differently.


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## stormyweather101 (Nov 9, 2009)

Eventer- I would LOVE that and I am very happy that you guys care enough to be sharing this information with me. You guys are great. I have been looking for jobs in my area but to no avail. And the "inside scoop" about what to expect would be great!


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## ocalagirl (Mar 31, 2010)

Honestly the best thing to do is to look for a working student job with a top trainer. I rode for a couple big names in my area and caught a lot of rides. Riding lots of different horses is not only good for your riding, but for your reputation. You do a good job on one horse, suddenly another owner wants you on their horse. You CAN succeed without money, you just have to put in the extra time, even though it can seem fruitless at times.

Another great thing to do to help you with the money problem is to write people about sponsorships. That will get you very far when you begin a professional career.

But the best advice I can give is ride as many horses as possible and show, show, show to get your name out there. Start small and network well, and you can go far! You should tell your trainer about your goals, and your parents too. Hopefully they can "hook you up" with some good resources!


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## Cougar (Jun 11, 2009)

I say dream big and put in the blood, sweat and tears to get there. If it really means that much to you then work your buns of to get there because if you have to climb your way up from the bottom, be prepared for HARD work. Set small goals and accomplish them. Get under a pro that can mentor you. Get to know horses inside and out. Keep at it.


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