I have to admit something, I am not from a rich family. My Dad grew up in Maine and he nickled and dimed for everything. There was a point in time where he did have money, we had a sailboat with kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. We had ponies, a huge farm house, for a little kid it appeared we had it all. Then my Dad lost his job at Wayne Computers. All of the money he had saved had to be used for house payments and food. He sold his sail boat. I kept my pony.
My Dad pushed forward, found a new better job, but was not ever able to save the money he once had.
My first pony cost $500. My second pony was $1200.
Age 13 I had my own part time job cleaning stalls to pay for my pony. Three days a week I would clean 8 stalls and feed chickens, donkeys, and horses. The farm was a bed and breakfast. I would help the lady clean up and watch her baby while she entertained the guests. My first job was very over whelming at first, but it was fun. I mean I got to be at the barn all the time!
At the age of 14 I started working for the riding instructor to pay for some of my lessons.
Age 15 we moved to a bigger facility, I cleaned about 30 stalls and feed 30 horses several days a week. My horse board went down to $75 a month, that's all my parents had to pay. I was a working student for a "A" circuit trainer. I quickly grew out of my pony, but never had to sell her, instead the trainer used the pony in lessons for smaller children and I rode her big black TB whom had a show history on the "A" circuit in Equitation. I thought that was pretty cool.
Throughout high school my parents shuffled me around to Pony Club. The lessons were only $10 then in the PC program! I was able to do Pony Club Rally some years, some years my parents couldn't afford it.
A lot of the money for other shows was a group effort by my parents and I. I would babysit animals and kids to earn a few bucks. I also found a job at Burger King (gross by the way) at the age of 15. My parents helped me as much as they could, but always enforced the importance of making your own money and paying for your own things. They didn't want to raise a spoiled child.
My parents continued to pay for vet, farrier, and a few shows here and there. Once there was a show in town, they told me I couldn't go. So what did I do...I snuck off! Without them knowing. I rode my horse down to the horse show! Showed, placed in one class. Then found a ride in a trailer home. They were furious, but overall realized how motivated I was.
Age 18 there was no money for college, so I joined the Air Force. My parents 100% stopped paying for anything. Once in awhile my Dad would send me $100 here and there, I think that happened three times. He helped me with a down payment on a truck, provided $1000 toward it. I paid him back. Besides that I paid 100% for everything; cell, car, horse, rent. I made $800/month when I first joined the military. My pay slowly increase and I eventually made $2200/month. My horse was sold while I was in basic training, that was a little heart breaking, but she had a great home with kids and since I had outgrown her years ago that was the best thing to do.
Age 19 I decided I was going to find a horse to buy. I heading to the horse rescue and took a chance with a TB, named Golden Child that was rescued from slaughter. He will always be my best friend. We spent the entire military experience together, moving from place to place. I bought a truck and horse trailer with my own money just to make sure he would always stay with me. We lived in Virginia, Vermont, and Colorado together.
To help pay for him I taught riding lessons to kids and was a part time manager at a big barn in Virginia. I cleaned stalls, feed horses, fixed things, etc. I worked full time in the military, crazy hours over night and sometimes my work days there were 22 hours long (at just the military job). I was exhausted, sometimes I would literally collapse cleaning stalls at that barn. I never complained, even working about 70 hours a week I had time to ride my horse.
Golden Child continued to be a great horse for me and many VHSA shows were held on the barn's property so I was able to get a deal on entry fees for working the show. He had end of year Green Hunter and Equitation awards. He was a beautiful horse. He also qualified for Dressage Championships at the age of 4.
I knew if I wanted to keep GC, I couldn't stay in the military. It wasn't enough money and I was exhausted working two jobs. I was Honorable Discharged after my four year enlistment. We moved up to Vermont where I worked 9-12 hours a day, 6 days a week, for an Olympic trainer. That was fun, but GC started showing lameness signs. I realized it was too much for him and decided it was time to get a full time job at a desk to pay for things.
I found a real job in Parker, Colorado and ended up buying a second horse named Paddy. The more expensive horse I have ever owned...and yes, he only cost me $3000! He had some neurological issues and was kind of "funny" but I liked him. He needed a home and I needed a horse. I now had two horses! Life was good! To this day I have owned Paddy the longest and plan on keeping him forever. He is now semi-retired at 20 years old.
Golden Child was diagnosed with severe arthritis in his back, hocks, fetlocks, pasterns, stifles, neck. He was in a lot of pain, this was more then just use and natural wear. Something was attacking his joints. He has a 100lb weight limit on him and has a little girl that owns him now. I drive by his new barn every day to feed my other horses. The little girl loves him as much as I did. It was really the best option. He is the first horse I have ever sold on my own (although, I gave him away).
After I left the military I found a real job, that paid well, but at that time things started costing more with horses. So again, I took a part time job in addition to my full time job. I had a part time job teaching lessons to kids for about 2 years and then took a part time nutrition job working for Clif Bar. Every weekend was full of work and every week was full of work. I did the part time job thing + the full time job thing for five years.
As an adult, I have never paid over $3000.00 for a horse. In fact, my newest horse was imported over for $60k and not what the owners expected so I purchased him for "slaughter prices." He was unpredictable when I got him, but over time he has worked out really well and he is now my best friend. After 12 years of 2+ jobs, I finally make enough money to afford him at a nice horse stable with great trainers and wonderful people. He is very happy. Yes, I wish it was less. There are a lot of sacrifices I had to make to move him there, but nothing like before. It was a pretty easy decisions to get rid of my smart phone and kill my gym membership to make up the difference. By the way, gym memberships in Boulder aren't cheap. I was paying $130 a month!
So how do I afford the other two? Paddy and his new buddy, Indy live at a wonderful barn my mother in law had connections too. I am really lucky she introduced me to the barn owners who give me a great deal. I do all the work myself, but now that Paddy is older it's all I really can do is to take care of him so I enjoy it as time we get to spend together. Indy was purchased for $100 to keep Paddy company. He is adorable, an easy keeper, and has been no strain on my financially. I love the little guy. He is like my big dog.
So I have never spent over $3000 for a horse. I couldn't even dream of spending $20k + on a horse, although people brag about that being a good deal. Do people have nicer horses then me? Of course they do! But I believe with love you can make any horse a wonderful horse, I do not need the best horse. Maybe my purpose in life isn't to be the best rider, winning all the shows...maybe it's to be the one that saves horses, the one that gives good horses in bad situations a chance to be great, the one that takes the time to figure them out. Maybe that is God's gift to me. That only means though, that the other riders with nice horses...their gift is to ride amazing and they shouldn't waste it. Those girls work hard to, to be great riders, I have a lot of respect for them. Look at R. Kessler, she has a shit load of money with such nice horses...but do you think she never lifts a finger to be the best? She is probably working her ass off, riding horses a ton of horses, jumping without stirrups, pumping iron at the gym, or whatever she does to be amazing. It's all hard work people!
Do I think I had it harder then others? Of course I don't. Life is hard in general, it's not a competition to see who has it harder then the other because the truth is more than likely everyone has paid their dues. There are many 20 year old girls that I know and younger, that have lost their parents. They live off the money their parents left behind. I can't imagine loosing my parents at such a young age. No horse is worth that. I know other people who have a ton of money, but have suffered with cancer and other serious illnesses. I see young girls with money slaving over their horses and trainer's horses. That's all hard work. Hard work is hard work no matter how much money you have. The truth is everyone is working hard and you have to respect everyone's accomplishments. In fact, if you are complaining how easy someone has it, more than likely you have no respect for hard work because maybe you have it too easy and do not understand the different types of hard work.
Don't let people justify how far you have come. No matter where you come from, you have been through hard times to have the good times. If you are a horsewomen, you more then likely are stronger then most. You know to put something before yourself. That's what horses are always about. You are not spoiled, you are a hard working, kick ass, horse girl. Show them.
I have been accused of always getting my way and not knowing what it means to work hard, maybe this post is to justify myself, but this post is more then that. It is to show how much respect I have for all the horse girls. I am only thirty years old and I have had to work my ass off to get to this point. I worked hard, my parents didn't spoil me. I take pride in the fact they didn't, they taught me a valuable lesson. I wouldn't be so successful today if it wasn't for them. I wouldn't have the horse of my dreams for $3000 either! It took time, patience, tears, sweat, and hard work. I am proud of all my horses because they are 100% my hard work and my own money. They have proven to me they are wonderful, they know I love them and how hard I work for them. You can take away money, but you never can take away hard work and pride.
I have the best parents for all they have taught me. I love you Mom and Dad.
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