My farrier was out yesterday with his daughter (HS Junior). We were chatting --I’ve known her dad since he was 14 and in 4-H with my kids. Her dad said, “Show Foxglove your video!” She did --video of a beautiful QH, doing all kinds of lovely things every horse should do --nicely made video by her brother. At the end the video said the horse was for sale --she’s had the gelding for about a year. Under her dad’s supervision, she’s done a ton of training --although she told me “That horse taught me more than I taught him.”
Then her dad showed me a video of a 4-Star LQ trailer (four horse) --looked almost knew --he said “My client had this for sale,” and (dramatic pause), “my daughter bought it with the money she got for selling that horse!” --the daughter already has another horse she’s training --another QH. She said she really likes training. She shows a bit at the 4-H level, does really well, but mostly just works with the horse she has at the time.
I admire my shoer a lot. He’s got three kids, stay at home wife --farms cattle and hay --shoes --and all the of his kids became successful in HS —oldest started a farm equipment parts and delivery service (something breaks and you are making hay, he’ll run the part out to you and help you fix it on the spot) that became a warehouse for farm machinery parts. Now at 19 he’s employing others to take the parts and fix things . . .doing well and had a few offers to sell his business. Second son sells breeding and breeding goats --that is one lucrative business --he’s a senior in HS. Has a truck and trailer he bought and takes his goats all over the US selling and buying.
And now the daughter is training horses.
FWIW --they don’t have a TV --never have. Kids do use computers, but I gather it’s pretty much for business. He said they make it a point to have dinner together every night when at all possible.
Everyone helps with the hay --he’s my hay guy too–all the kids and the wife come when he brings my winter supply and work together to put it in the mow.
