There is a lot of great advice here, even if it might not be what you want to hear.
My experience as someone who considered herself a hard worker and one who would ride anything as a teen and twentysomething, is that working hard is not necessarily working smart. I think we of little means and big aspirations get so very stuck on the fact that we love horses and want to be with them all day, everyday. So how do we make it happen? We clean stalls, groom, braid, etc. and if we do it well enough, someone will reward us with a ride or two, or lessons, or a free horse to show. We don’t really think about getting paid for our work, or the value of our work in comparison to the value of the ride, lesson, or horse show, particularly if we are in a situation that is not set up to have a work to lesson/ride/show program. Let’s face it, a lot of the fancy places are not.
While always maintaining a positive outward manner, I worked so hard at one point that I had a pretty good job post college where I often worked more than 50 hours a week, plus my grooming and braiding responsibilities that were often full time, plus, as well. You know what? I did not have time to ride and barely slept enough to function (in the real job). Even so, I still couldn’t afford to do more than lesson weekly. Something had to give. It was the horses until I could afford to ride in the manner that I wanted to. Now, in my early 30s, is the first time I have a nice green horse ready to show 3’ (and hopefully beyond) regularly.
As a teen, I was fortunate enough to have decent OTTB that was capable of showing 3’, if I could have afforded it. I was able to ride the difficult or green horses, when given a chance. But it was my friends with the show experience who, thankful for my rides at home, got to show them. I was their groom, braider and moral support. As a horseless 20 something, I was groom, braider and moral support to those mortified adults, as you call them. Because of my support, they were kind enough to think of me when they went out of town and could not ride their horse. I rarely rode or lessoned otherwise. On occasion, I was fortunate enough to show a few horses.
The point of my above experience is that as a teen and 20 something, I really wished I could have made riding and grooming a career. I just did not have the experience, network or financial backing to do it. Hard to believe, I was working too hard to develop it.
My advice to you is to really look at your situation and what you can do to make yourself more saleable to the type of situation you would like to find yourself in. What experience do you need? Can you get this experience without a lot of financial output. What kind of networking do you need to do? What is the best way to network? Do you know someone who knows someone who might now someone with a situation that will help you gain the experience you need? While this industry is hard work, and I am not advocating not working hard; it is important to find ways to not work so hard that you can’t develop your career.
I think another great piece of advice that someone posted is don’t expect to get all your experience in one place. One place might be great to learn about stable management, another horse care, another good flatwork, another putting in the good show round. And never underestimate the amount of knowledge you can get by standing at the ring as a groom. Even if you are not riding, you can probably learn more by helping set jumps, prepping a horse for the ring, and watching how the pros handle the greenies on up to the performance hunters and big jumpers.
From what I can tell from your posts, you probably are decent at working with trouble horses or greenies, particularly under 3’. That, in and of itself is a great niche. However, to ride and show at the level you want to, is a whole ‘nuther ball of wax. It takes a lot of extra training and rides on good horses, which all takes $$$. You can get a somewhat “free education” by grooming for great trainers. Finding ways to clinic or train a few times a year with great trainers is another good way to broaden your experience. Also, take stock in the assets that you have available to you. Can you manage your parent’s farm and sales program in a way that will help you get a horse you can develop and show a few times in the 3’? I would really look at ways you can expand your experience given the assets you already have.
Good luck. There really is a lot of great advice in the other posts in this thread. I really wish it was there when I was your age.
