No, not mocking! I think what you do is pretty cool. Just agreed with the suggestion that the OP could channel her passion somewhere else. Its good to have a passion!
and I doubt the level of training required for rabbit agility is as high as a dogs. :winkgrin: The courses are much shorter and less complex 
, although they do have long and high jumping. Check out the youtube videos! Iād link for you, but donāt have access to youtube while at work.
OP - I donāt have any advice to give you that others here have not already offered, but maybe I can give you some perspective.
I had a pretty decent junior career and made it to the big eq and even the high junior jumpers. In college and after I was lucky enough to get some rides in the working hunters too. So yeah, I spent a few years in the 3ā6" - 4ā6" range competitively.
Fast forward to today. I have essentially been a working student for the past 20 years. Just the way life works out, but I can say I have been blessed to work for trainers who reward my hard work by letting me ride as much as I can or want, with the occasional lesson thrown in.
I hack. A lot. Beggars canāt be choosers :winkgrin:
My few jumping opportunities come in the form of schooling the pony with a bad case of the naughties, or tuning up a lesson horse, or taking a greenie over his first few attempts. I donāt think Iāve jumped higher than 3ā in 20 years.
Hereās the perspective part: I can honestly say I am a better rider NOW than I was at the āheightā (pun intended) of my career. So to say that you have to jump higher to improve your riding is just not true.
Take it for what its worth to you, but its absolutely true.
AllisonWunderlund, your post is simultaneously inspiring me and depressing me! If someone who went up through the big eq and high jrs isnāt getting awesome rides thrown at them, little old āI can beat the kids in the 2ā6 (some of the time)ā me is never going to have a 200k horse drop into my lap with the wealthy but no longer interested owner practically begging me to ride him. Youāre killing my dreams here!
I promise I didnāt miss the point of your post. I try to hang on to the fact that riding all of the tough ones makes me a better rider.
As someone else said, you either spend money OR time. Not everyone at the upper levels of the H/J world has 6 figure horses. So, clearly, thatās not a requirement. But if their horse didnāt cost a lot, you can bet theyāve put a ton of time and work into it.
And there are many ways to shave down the horse show costs, even at the AA level. Do your own braiding, grooming and prep. Do self care at the shows if your barn allows it. So, a 5 figure per month horse show budget isnāt a necessity to run with the big dogs either.
What is a necessity, in order to show at a serious level and be competitive on a budget is a shit load of hard work. Either you want it badly enough, or you donāt. Wanting badly to have it handed to you doesnāt count.
lol french fry! I never said I was any good as a junior!
I really am a better rider now. But no - no one is dropping a $200k horse in my lap either. I should just quitā¦
Hi French Fry,
Believe me, it is the DIFFICULT, even ruined horses that teach one how to RIDE. I used to envy those with push button perfectly conformed horses, but I no longer do because all the not very suitable or damaged/ruined horses Iāve ridden have taught me how to ride.
No one really learns how to ride on a perfectly trained horse that never misbehaves and always has perfectly spaced strides. These horsesā riders find this out when they get put on a ruined horse full of resistances, evasions, and outright naughty behavior whose stride varies with each step. You get it right on the ruined/spoiled horses you will get it right on the better ones. The problem then, when youāve ridden the hard ones, is that those perfect horses will end up being absolutely boring to ride.
You know, I feel really sorry for you. What a narrow mind you must have to write something as ignorant as this.
I agree that 100% push-button horses are boring. Ollie can be either really easy and super good- or OH MY GOD ROTTEN. There is no in-between, LOL. Heās never dangerous, per se, but he can ignore a rider like nobodyās business - not stopping, pulling you out of the ring, etc. Heās taught me so much about how to RIDE. I know more now about creating impulsion, adjusting, correcting bend/counterbend issues, straightness, evasion, preventing pulling out of jump linesā¦ heās made me such a better rider in so many ways. All of my aids are so much more educated, but I still have a long way to go.
Oh, boo hoo. I mean, really, donāt tell me this is the worst.thing.ever. Most of us donāt have a string of lovely imports. Only the most wealthy or most lucky riders get to that point. The rest of us make do. So go to college (I assume youāre YOUNG), get a good job, and buy a horse. Until then, ride whatās available. OR live life feeling sorry for yourself.
That might sound harsh, but itās not. Reality stinks if you let it. But this really is a first-world problem and youāve been able to enjoy a very expensive hobby. Either find a way to pay your way or move on.
My suggestion is to find out how to enjoy horses without the fancy imports, without the expensive shows. Maybe be a working student? Impress trainers with your hard work, riding, and - importantly - show them a good attitude!
So OP, are you finding the advice here helpful? Or not so much? Do you think the advice/comments might sway your decision to give up on the riding?
Whether she does or doesnāt, Iām sure the riding world will go on . . . :rolleyes:
Go read huntr_eq_blondeās other threads and she has had this same attitude for awhile. I wonder at her parents for raising such an entitled and whiny daughter. Her ignorant comment about arguing with a Democrat is funny, because her wanting something for nothing is how most Republicans see Democrats. This girl reminds me of so many that have come before who whine and complain about how things are so unfair in the horse world. Life is not fair and the sooner huntr_eq_blonde understands that, she will have a much happier life. She should quit and do something else for awhile.
Bolding mine.
OP, if youāre still reading, what LPH said there is so very important - you must figure out what really drives you and makes you happy. You have mentioned it is progressing in the sport, but the definition of progress being used is extremely narrow (jumping 4ā+). If it is truly progress that drives you, look for progress wherever you can find it (the sour schoolie who goes nicely after a tune-up, the creaky oldster who moves a little better after a hack, the wooly yak of a pony who looks looks presentable after quality grooming time).
Whatever it is, whatever makes you tick and makes you happy, figure out what that is. This will pay dividends in your life, and will enable you to be happy in most situations, or at least steer clear of situations where you know you will be miserable.
I didnāt figure this out until I was several years older than you, but I wish I had figured it out sooner. I second the suggestion of therapy - it really does help with this kind of thing.
[QUOTE=Lady Eboshi;7555540]
Whether she does or doesnāt, Iām sure the riding world will go on . . . :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
Huh? So you donāt want anyone trying to find out if the OP will follow up? Arenāt you the one who started a thread to find out what happened to this thread when it temporarily went poof?
[QUOTE=Bristol Bay;7555056]
Ew. You lost me from the first post, but this is just uncalled for.
So we wonāt be seeing you around the barn? Too bad.:rolleyes: Best of luck getting into that Big 10 school.[/QUOTE]
Yeah. I definitely wonāt be losing sleep about ever running into you at the barn.
Despite my debilitating health problems, I went to a private school that let me go half days, which allowed me to sleep, do homework, and sleep again. (I was sleeping 14 hrs a day. Lost all my āfriends.ā) Graduated in the top 5 of a very competitive college prep school. Got into Auburn (top SEC school) my Freshman year but had to decline. Already accepted to the University of Wisconsin twice, but had to defer.
Thanks for the luck, but I obviously donāt need it when it comes to top colleges.
[QUOTE=Janeway;7555108]
Thatās a good idea LazyPalomino! Or the OP could taking up rabbit showjumping! Seriously, there are clubs for it! It is so cute watching the bunnies jump over the agility courses. I have a rabbit and was going to do this until she got an inner ear infection giving her permanent āhead-tiltā so she can now only run/turn in one direction.
Its amusing to note that some of the rabbits jump higher than we do on horses ;)[/QUOTE]
Omg! Weāve owned rabbits since I was three. They were all rescues. One I was able to train going up and down stairs. My current bunny, Miss Mustache, is very lazy. She loves being petting, stretching out in front of the TV to watch with us, etc. But she will not jump. She barely moves when we take her outside. She does do binkies, though. Her double chin, cankle self would be like, hell noā¦you jump it.
Apparently itās very big in Sweden and England. Love watching the YouTube vids.
[QUOTE=huntr_eq_blonde;7556008]
Yeah. I definitely wonāt be losing sleep about ever running into you at the barn.
Despite my debilitating health problems, I went to a private school that let me go half days, which allowed me to sleep, do homework, and sleep again. (I was sleeping 14 hrs a day. Lost all my āfriends.ā) Graduated in the top 5 of a very competitive college prep school. Got into Auburn (top SEC school) my Freshman year but had to decline. Already accepted to the University of Wisconsin twice, but had to defer.
Thanks for the luck, but I obviously donāt need it when it comes to top colleges.[/QUOTE]
You have been given opportunity not only swing your leg up on horses, but to jump 4ā on horses you do not own. Instead of going āwow, what an amazing opportunity, let me see what people graciously allow me to ride next.ā, you instead turn your nose up to a horse that āOnly does 2ā6ā. Your attitude is not becoming of you and I think thatās where a lot of people on here have a problem with you. Your attitude about life is quite superficial ā āIf I canāt go to ivy league school, I wonāt go to school at all. If I canāt jump past 4ā, I wonāt ride at all.ā
My horse for 10 years āonly did 2ā6ā and he was a OTTB from hell. Was he fancy? Lord no. But that sucker made me a damn good rider and made me learn to be an EFFECTIVE RIDER. Beautiful equitation is effective riding.
Youāre not the only one with health problems: My life after Mono has been a health crapshoot (similar to another poster). Inexplicable problems, stays in the hospital, etc. And itās clear that plenty of other COTHers do too, but they still manage.
Health problems made me tough out my undergraduate for 6 years. Yes. 6 friggin years. I took loads that were part time so I could handle my life. Some semesters I could barely take two classes, but I did it because I wanted to not give up. I am the same age as you. 24 years old. I have problems too, but I sure as hell did not let them stop me from growing. I had willpower to say every day I will do the damn best I can, even if it is two classes.
So you exhibiting willpower would be saying āperhaps I canāt do my big ivy league school since Iām quite ill. I need to stay home and have parents take care of me. I will go to community college or a local university and do as many credits as I can handle just to get a little further.ā You having willpower would be saying āI only have a 2ā6ā horse to ride, put perhaps he will teach my lessons in riding that other horses canāt. Perhaps he will make me grow in ways I donāt know yet." But this is where your superficiality absorbs you; if you canāt have the best, you donāt want it at all.
Where are you now? 24 years old, jobless, horseless, degree-less, and what are you going to do? Let your inabilities rule your life? Look at where that has progressed you to. GROW PAST YOUR CANTS. OPEN YOURSELF TO OPPORTUNITY WHICH HAS BEEN GIVEN TO YOU. DONT BYPASS OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU ARE ABOVE IT.
Karasha:
That was beautiful advice. Well written.
[QUOTE=huntr_eq_blonde;7556008]
Yeah. I definitely wonāt be losing sleep about ever running into you at the barn.
Despite my debilitating health problems, I went to a private school that let me go half days, which allowed me to sleep, do homework, and sleep again. (I was sleeping 14 hrs a day. Lost all my āfriends.ā) Graduated in the top 5 of a very competitive college prep school. Got into Auburn (top SEC school) my Freshman year but had to decline. Already accepted to the University of Wisconsin twice, but had to defer.
Thanks for the luck, but I obviously donāt need it when it comes to top colleges.[/QUOTE]
THIS is why you do not have the 4ft+ horsesā owners lined up at your door. THIS is why you donāt have your trainer bending over backwards to help you out. Your attitude REEKS. You are so used to having a damn silver spoon in your mouth that you donāt even know what hard work is. Honestly, I feel sorry for you. I may not have the money to show much at all, let alone 4ft jumpers, but I have worked for every ride Iāve gotten and Iām HAPPY and PROUD of my accomplishments. You HAVE a lot and all you can do is be ungrateful and whine about not having those horses/trainers line up at your door? I have absolutely no sympathy for you.
And bragging about the colleges you got intoā¦ :rolleyes: cool. You arenāt in college because you want to go to an Ivy League school and you havenāt gotten in. Please. Get over yourself. Have you watched the show Gossip Girl? You my friend are Blair Waldorf. You donāt know the character Iām talking about? Youāre 24, Iām sure youāve seen the show.
Finally, you have gotten WONDERFUL advice throughout this thread, and instead of graciously accepting the advice and saying thank you, youāve come up with every. excuse. in. the. book. about why it canāt work. If you came on here to have a pity party, maybe you should have said that in the first place.
So, the real problem isnāt anything except that you donāt have a 4ā+ horse. Well, most people have that problem. I do have one now, but I have had to put down two beloved horses in the last three years- one was ten, the other had just turned five. I had had my five year old since he was two and did a lot of his breaking and training myself. My husband has had eight brain surgeries since 2005 and might be facing another one this summer. I work two jobs to be able to afford my horse hobby, which is exhausting but itās the only way I can responsibly have horses. I have scoliosis which sometimes means I canāt stand upright. Blah blah blah- everyone has problems. Some problems are harder to deal with than others, some can be overcome, some just have to be managed, gotten around, accepted.
I feel like the luckiest person in the world most of the time, and when I want to feel sorry for myself I do it and move on. You can live there, but itās a waiting room, and I hate those.
[QUOTE=foursocks;7556234]
Blah blah blah- everyone has problems. Some problems are harder to deal with than others, some can be overcome, some just have to be managed, gotten around, accepted.
I feel like the luckiest person in the world most of the time, and when I want to feel sorry for myself I do it and move on. You can live there, but itās a waiting room, and I hate those.[/QUOTE]
EXACTLY. Our problems often are only as big as the space we make for them in our head. Donāt focus on the negative, and live positively. Donāt dwell on ācanātsā, but rather on what you have or what you CAN do. Life is too short to wallow in misery. If you tell yourself that life sucks, you are guaranteeing that it will continue to suck indeed.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
