[QUOTE=soloudinhere;7761596]
You completely misinterpreted what I was saying, which has to do with a specific instructor and things that he has said to people/students, either myself or others I have witnessed firsthand. Maybe he’s mellowed in the past 10 years, I don’t know. His facebook rants don’t give that impression.
I’m glad you’re a super rider who has made up some fabulous horses and lived in a trailer. Good for you. Has absolutely nothing to do with what I was talking about, and I’m really unclear on whether you’re trying to convince ME or you’re trying to convince YOURSELF that you’re stellar and have made all the “right” decisions.
It’s certainly clear that ego is not a problem for you, though, so I guess there’s that battle won.[/QUOTE]
Really, you were responding to Denny Emerson’s specific advice that you need to come from money, give up a $100k job and buy a $75k competition horse? Because I am on his feed too and I see him bitching about people who just buy high dollar horses that they have no idea how to develop themselves.
Did I miss the part where Denny Emerson came from money and just shelled out for tip top horses and this was his recipe for success?
Because my interpretation is that, #1., he does the math. Riding does not care if you only have time to ride twice a week because you have other commitments. If you aspire to be very good you will not get there on that schedule. This is just how it is,athough there is nothing wrong with dabbling in horses and not making it a priority to steer a horse around a sand ring better. The same way people bowl once a week with their friends and don’t really care if they have perfect technique. Nothing wrong with that whatsoever, but if you want to become an above average bowler you have to put in above average time and effort.
#2. I really do not see where Denny’s message is that everyone needs to just buy a money horse, because most of his rants are focused on lack of development of young horses and people wanting an insta horse. The first hurdle in horse ownership is getting the basic expenses covered: the stall,the vet and farrier, enough training to ensure you make progress. Once that is covered, any one can do sale horses. If they are willing to ride babies and reinstall the basics again and again then gradually you can climb up the quality ladder with what is in that stall you are paying for. Of course sticking with your heart horse is a perfectly acceptable choice, but if sitting on something competitive is a goal the first thing you need is the ability to pay expenses on a stall, and then gradually you can upgrade one by one what you put in that stall. Board bills are the same whether the horse inside the stall is four digits or six, and if you know how to develop horses you can improve your horse flesh from four digits to six without spending more in monthly maintenance than you would on a cheap horse.
So I guess if you want to interpret Denny’s internet presence as saying you need to come from money and just buy yourself fancy horses, that is your interpretation, but I don’t think that interpretation is based on anything Denny actually has said.
His advice tells people a path they can take to climb the ladder WITHOUT being a silver spoon child and just buying megabucks horses, but his ingredients do include arranging your life so that you have the basic amount of time and resources to do so. Unfortunately there just isn’t a way to get good in two days a week or without somehow getting yourself access to at least one horse to borrow or own.
