On that note I’m not sure how the OP is healthy enough to jump 4’ jumpers but can’t ride an OTTB?
Riding a jumper PERIOD is a lot of hard work and can be hard on the back, heck just jumping a jump can be hard on a back and there’s a lot of room for error so I also agree that the OP should focus on getting healthy and the re-evaluate her goals.
On a side note, I’ve ridden plenty of OTTB’s that did know how to slow down and weren’t on their forehand.
OP, I am very close to your age. I go to school, work full time, and I manage to ride. I have a QH gelding, who is capable of jumping HUGE, but he was just ran at fences (after flunking out of roping and being a bucking horse). We went back to square one and are currently tightening up lateral work and doing small fences here and there. I work off my board at a small, private barn, and do all the training myself (lessons here and there when I can afford). You keep saying you can’t afford board and training, but there are so many people that are willing to HELP out there. They are willing to help young adults, with good attitudes, that work hard because they were there before. I’m a jumper, but my BO is Dressage. She has helped me in more ways with my riding than many trainers.
I also worked as a WS before that and rode everything. I was like you and rode the crappy horses, the green horses, the stoppers, the over jumpers, and the horses that shouldn’t jump but “hey the young girl bounces, so put her ontop of it”. I know where you are coming from. It would be so nice to get on a nice $100k horse and go around, not paying for anything and just working on myself.
Step off the unicorn. It isn’t going to happen. You do seem entitled. I understand your frustrations, I really do. I always say when I get rich I will buy a nice, packer and put it in full board/train so I can just worry about me. I am sure by then unicorns will exist and pigs will fly, because I am going to school to be a Vet Tech. LOL rich is not in a vet techs vocab.
You don’t NEED to go to a Big 10 for a Nutrition Degree. You can get your Nutrition Degree close to home and it won’t ding you. Yes, Big 10’s are nice but they aren’t realistic for everyone.
I also see on another thread you said you don’t want a OTTB (not only because of the bills) but because they pull so much they will hurt you. Uhm, what 4’ft jumpers have you ridden that go along on the buckle? My QH pulls more than my OTTB ever did. I think it’s a crappy breed generalization.
What I get is that you just want a super nice horse, to jump super big, and to not work for it because you are sick and have daddy won’t give you money.
Take a break and look back at yourself and figure out what you REALLY want. Get yourself better and comfortable so you aren’t in pain. If you are living with chronic pains why do you want to ride big jumpers? It makes no sense. Try a new sport, try a new discipline. You want to talk about people from IL that had to work to make it? Read about Will Simpson.
I think you just need to take a breather and re-evaluate yourself and your priorities. Think about what makes you happy because you can’t afford it, and think about how hard you are willing to work to make it happen.
OP, I’m not going to lecture you on why you sound like a spoiled, entitled brat (which you do). But, for your own sake, I will encourage you not to quit riding altogether simply because you can’t do it at a level that you deem worthy of your talents.
There is a lot more to horses than jumping big jumps and showing at the big shows. I mostly feel sad for you that you have not figured this out yet, at 24 years old.
When I was 24, I was in law school and happy to ride whatever horses a trainer in the area would VERY generously allow me to ride. My parents did not foot any portion of any of my horse bills, and I was therefore certainly not able to show. I did not feel sad for myself. I did not consider quitting the sport. I quietly looked forward to the day that I would be able to own my own horse again (my parents supported a horse and showing for me as a junior, but he was sold immediately when I went to college), and I enjoyed the riding I was able to do.
If you really can’t derive any joy from horses unless you are jumping more than 4 feet, then, yeah, I guess you should quit.
OP wants to drive a Mercedes but isn’t willing to pay the sticker price.
OP would rather not drive at all if the only option is to drive a Toyota.
OP would like the universe to adjust the price of Mercedes so that she can afford one, or she would like someone else to provide her with one and pay for the insurance too.
[QUOTE=huntr_eq_blonde;7550751]
Um, not to be politically incorrect, but the grooms in Northern Illinois are all of Hispanic decent and are hired. They aren’t kids trying to work off lessons, board, etc. This may be the case in other areas, but not in mine.[/QUOTE]
If you live in Northern Illinois, there are certainly riding opportunities to be had (and it sounds like you have been getting many of them). I lived in Chicago for a year and was able to ride sales horses at a very nice barn. No, I was not jumping 4’ plus all the time, but I was jumping 3’6" on other people’s expensive horses and that was MORE than good enough for me. But, yeah, the places that are going to let you ride the sales horses are going to expect you to also take lessons. That just seems like a given to me.
Well, I am finally as perplexed by the OP as everyone else.
And while I know I don’t need to defend OTTBs her comment regarding them pulling…just… well its just a bad generalization.
I have an OTTB. He shows 4+ jumpers. He takes me to the jumps (as I want him to) but doesn’t pull hard. I have graves disease, sjogrens and rheumatoid arthritis. The RA mostly affects my hands. Recently my horse has had some health issues and his work load has been drastically reduced. As a result I have been lessoning on my trainers jumpers and her sales horses, all of which are fancy imports… and there have been several times that my hands are throbbing the day after lessons. You won’t find too many 4+ jumpers that don’t take you to the jump and at least pull a little bit from time to time.
Here is my cheap OTTB (who you are apparently too good for) showing at 1.20 last weekend.
http://s1285.photobucket.com/user/ivyhall1/library/Mobile%20Uploads/OTTB
My new recommendation to the OP is to find herself a very rich husband as soon as possible.
OP, if you can afford to be a true working student and don’t have to show in amateur classes, if you are truly talented and have some good references (both are very important), then you can get a position with a farm that may give you some catch rides, even some catch rides at 4’ for minimal cost. I did this some in college over the summer and did wind up doing a little bit of showing when I was 21 at 3’9-4’ on some sales horses and I only paid my entry fees. I had previously owned a horse that I showed at this height but we had to sell to pay for school, and I can’t say I’ve since made it back into the level of finances on my own to be an owner of just about anything again, yet. The horses I got to ride weren’t exactly push button horses–the easier rides got leased out, sometimes per show, to students who wanted to pay more, and that’s just how it went no matter how hard I worked or how much trainer liked me. No use being bitter about that. Sometimes I got an easier ride if it was available, but mostly I got horses that needed mileage like your potential lease horse, only I wasn’t paying the big bucks per month. I was also not only doing all the grunt work but would make myself available at any free moment I had to help out even just holding other horses, setting jumps, whatever. I got the opportunity because I had good references, but I KEPT the job because I worked really hard. I also sat on a bunch of not so nice things including a psycho mare that belonged to trainer’s brother–we went out to evaluate her for sale, and she was so nutty and dangerous that trainer was very sorry he asked me to do that. But I did it and didn’t give up even when we went swimming through a gymnastic. I’ll admit I’m not quite that brave anymore, but if I wanted to go that route again to get back into the sport, I’d have to put my big girl pants back on. As it is now, I’m riding a lot of greenies, some just off the track, some under saddle less than a year, and I’m no where near the 4’ ring, but these are the rides I’m getting while I hold down a non-horsey career until I can even afford to be a budget DIY-er type again. I wanted to get back into the sport, moved to an area where I didn’t have connections, and I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve been able to find.
If you really want to stick with it and don’t have another job, then you have to make it your job to get to the level you aspire to. That means finding a different situation than what you have available currently. It means finding people willing to take a bit of a risk on you as well and you working your butt off. Maybe you can’t quite do that with your health issues, and so maybe you have to adjust your goals some. It also means that the high paying clients are still going to be given priority, but don’t treat them like the enemy. What if they need their super fancy 5’ jumper exercised? It would sure help if you were friends and had a good sportsmanlike attitude. If you want to improve your own riding, the more time you can get in the saddle the better, even if it’s just an exercise ride, whether it be on something really green or push button.
Perhaps, more than anything, it is the OP’s bad attitude that is holding her back; not her lack finances or lack of a 4’+ jumper.
Ivy hall, your horse is gorgeous. Kudos to you for using your talent and skills to bring him up the levels. I wish I was ever that talented.
I bet I have a pretty good idea of what it’s like. Up until age 27, I was extraordinarily healthy and fit. Then I got Mono (Epstein-Barr Virus). From that point on, it was as though my immune system went haywire. Basically the “Mono” never went away. To illustrate what it’s like, one memory stands out very clearly. I was at the grocery store in the checkout line, and one of those sweeping waves of fatigue hit me. All I can remember is thinking that I would lie down on the floor, right there, if it wouldn’t cause a big commotion. I barely made it through each workday; on my lunch break I would put a couple of chairs together and sleep. This problem continued all the way through my 30’s, with (sadly) infertility and finally culminated in thyroid cancer. The miraculous part is that once my thyroid was out, I had a feeling of well-being that I hadn’t experienced in years! I have been healthy since.
My point in relating this is that whether acknowledged or not, there is depression and anger that goes along with having a “mystery illness”. You literally feel robbed of your life, and the most frustrating part is that you often look well to others, so it is hard for them to understand. I was very bitter about people thinking I was malingering…yes (re-living the bitterness now, lol).
I think much of the attitude people are honing in on is maybe not so much the specific horse situation, but a result of the OP’s health problems.
OP: Since everyone else is putting their .02 cents in, I might as well add mine.
I was so fortunate to have a pony, then a horse when I was young. I was very focused on showing and “progressing” like you, although only at the local level. But honestly, looking back…if I could go back in time, I would have skipped the showing and just loved on my animals more. My very best memories are not of showing, but of cantering my OTTB through the cornfields and the woods of rural Maryland. Riding out on a crisp, fall day. The smell of his coat, and that wonderful sound horses make when they are munching their feed. These are the things that I remember, and I hope you will step back and think about why you love horses in the first place. Be well.
[QUOTE=IvyHall;7553021]
Well, I am finally as perplexed by the OP as everyone else.
And while I know I don’t need to defend OTTBs her comment regarding them pulling…just… well its just a bad generalization.
I have an OTTB. He shows 4+ jumpers. He takes me to the jumps (as I want him to) but doesn’t pull hard. I have graves disease, sjogrens and rheumatoid arthritis. The RA mostly affects my hands. Recently my horse has had some health issues and his work load has been drastically reduced. As a result I have been lessoning on my trainers jumpers and her sales horses, all of which are fancy imports… and there have been several times that my hands are throbbing the day after lessons. You won’t find too many 4+ jumpers that don’t take you to the jump and at least pull a little bit from time to time.
Here is my cheap OTTB (who you are apparently too good for) showing at 1.20 last weekend.
http://s1285.photobucket.com/user/ivyhall1/library/Mobile%20Uploads/OTTB
My new recommendation to the OP is to find herself a very rich husband as soon as possible.[/QUOTE]
I am sorry to hear you are fighting so much illness too! Seems like a lot of COTH folks battle major diseases on a daily basis and still keep on doing what they love to do. Your “cheap OTTB” is GORGEOUS and exactly what I thought the OP would be able to bring along over time if she was willing to work hard for it.
Jingles to you that your horse’s health issues clear up quickly and yours improve as much as possible! I know RA is no easy battle. I don’t know how OP would expect to get around a course at even 3’ without a little pulling.
[QUOTE=huntr_eq_blonde;7550737]
And again, I don’t care about showing. I just want to progress to a higher level.[/QUOTE]
Everyone has said it, but I’ll say it again. Jumping bigger does not necessarily mean you’re riding at a higher level. If you have holes - and it sounds like you have some red flags in your riding - FIX THEM. If you’re willing and eager to learn, you get more opportunities. Ask me how I know - I grew up riding those horses for the rich girls who couldn’t be bothered to ride in between shows.
[QUOTE=LS;7553039]
I think much of the attitude people are honing in on is maybe not so much the specific horse situation, but a result of the OP’s health problems.[/QUOTE]
As I just related in another thread, I too have had chronic health problems, for about 7 years. While it was frustrating, and anger-inducing, to go through the process to find out what was wrong with me- after not being able to keep food down, losing a lot of weight, joint pain, crazy fatigue, etc. - and then get me on a treatment plan, i’ve found that positive living is the best thing for my psyche and health. People still often shoot me dirty looks for using the handicap stall when there are others waiting for it (when I NEED the bars to hold onto because of joint issues) or taking the elevator for one flight of stairs, or thinking I’m dramatic for saying I can’t do things because of how tired I am… but you learn to let those things go, you know?
As much as chronic illness is awful and life-changing, wallowing in it gets you nowhere. I learned that the hard way. I agree with you that the enjoying horses for what they are is the best medicine, though. That’s why I started taking lessons again a few years ago. And I don’t need a fancy horse to have the therapeutic effects of being around the best therapists on this planet.
Zuri, alittlegray- every kind word regarding my horse brings a tear to my eye. Thank you.
He was diagnosed with lymphoma in february and began a 39 week chemo treatment protocol (which has since been reduced to 33 weeks). He is currently in remission!! As for my own health issues, I’m fine! One doc says its RA but the rheumy is unsure based on lab work alone. That being said my older sister has severe RA so they are thinking I’m in the early stages of the disease… which is great bc the earlier its treated the better the prognosis. Nothing is keeping me off my horse, even if its just for a hack around the field 
He, just being himself, brings me joy and its something I hope the OP can find.
[QUOTE=IvyHall;7553102]
Zuri, alittlegray- every kind word regarding my horse brings a tear to my eye. Thank you.
He was diagnosed with lymphoma in february and began a 39 week chemo treatment protocol (which has since been reduced to 33 weeks). He is currently in remission!! As for my own health issues, I’m fine! One doc says its RA but the rheumy is unsure based on lab work alone. That being said my older sister has severe RA so they are thinking I’m in the early stages of the disease… which is great bc the earlier its treated the better the prognosis. Nothing is keeping me off my horse, even if its just for a hack around the field
He, just being himself, brings me joy and its something I hope the OP can find.[/QUOTE]
hang in there. I had doctors think I was crazy despite suddenly losing 25 lbs. quickly and not being able to keep food down. They said it was all my “anxiety.” Until I found one doctor who worked to treat me, no matter what my labwork showed. it took about 1.5 YEARS for my bloodwork to confirm the lupus - before then, it wasn’t really showing the proof.
[QUOTE=IvyHall;7553102]
Zuri, alittlegray- every kind word regarding my horse brings a tear to my eye. Thank you.
He was diagnosed with lymphoma in february and began a 39 week chemo treatment protocol (which has since been reduced to 33 weeks). He is currently in remission!! As for my own health issues, I’m fine! One doc says its RA but the rheumy is unsure based on lab work alone. That being said my older sister has severe RA so they are thinking I’m in the early stages of the disease… which is great bc the earlier its treated the better the prognosis. Nothing is keeping me off my horse, even if its just for a hack around the field
He, just being himself, brings me joy and its something I hope the OP can find.[/QUOTE]
hang in there. I had doctors think I was crazy despite suddenly losing 25 lbs. quickly and not being able to keep food down. They said it was all my “anxiety.” Until I found one doctor who worked to treat me, no matter what my labwork showed. it took about 1.5 YEARS for my bloodwork to confirm the lupus - before then, it wasn’t really showing the proof.
All equestrian sport is a game for the wealthy, but Hunters takes that to a whole new level. Closely followed by show jumping. Perhaps take a look at eventing or dressage, maybe you will carve your niche.
Also I am in it for the horses, not the ribbons. I would have given up/jumped off a cliff many years ago if that was the case :lol: Don’t lose sight of that.
[QUOTE=walktheline;7550571]
OP, to some degree, I know how you feel. Let me tell you my situation.
I am a junior. My horse is 20. In his hayday, he was capable of the 1.30m, but that was before I even started riding him. Now that he is aged, his limit is 1.15m. The Children’s jumpers. I have 2 1/2 junior years left and I am already completing at 1.10-1.15m on him. I have accepted wholly that I will never go any higher on him. If I drilled him, made him as fit as I possibly could, schooled the crap out of him and then rode my pants off in the show ring, whacking him at the base of every fence, would he go around 1.20m? Maybe so, because he has heart and he wants to please me. But he would be uncomfortable, and it would be asking far too much.
I’m definitely not Tori Colvin either, but I do have a natural feel and eye (so I’ve been told). Sometimes, yes, it is very difficult for me to watch the kids who don’t necessarily have a lot of natural talent, but do have money, get these beautiful imported junior jumpers to take them higher- higher than I will ever go, most likely. Some days I shed a few tears over it in pure frustration, maybe after a bad lesson (my horse is a very difficult ride) or show.
But then I have to remind myself that I’m pretty damn lucky to come as far as I have. Many kids DREAM of owning a horse, even just a little pre childrens packer, let alone one that can jump 3’6. I may not be able to afford to show every weekend and go to finals, but there’s so many kids out there who DREAM of going to one horse show a year and never do. I may not be at the top of the sport, I may not be showing at the height I would really like to be, but I am still more fortunate than so many children in this sport.
I am extremely competitive by nature, so yes when I came to terms with not being able to show any higher than 1.15m it was a hard pill to swallow at first. And to this day it is hard for me to really think about sometimes. But moping around- and in your case, quitting, is a guaranteed way to NEVER get anywhere. Will I ever show at 1.25m? Most likely not, but you never know. One thing I know for sure is that if I ever got there, it would not come without hours of hard work, so instead of moping around having a pity party I’m working hard every day to improve. So, OP, what I think it comes down to is HOW dedicated to this sport are you? How much do you love it? Yesterday was my horse’s day off. I didn’t ride. But I went to the barn from 10-4 anyway and spent a half hour just sitting in his stall grooming him and watching him eat hay. Because I love the barn. And I love these creatures called horses.
If its more about showing for you, or ribbons or if you just don’t love the sport that much anymore, you probably should quit. But if you really, really love the sport and the animals, keep riding even if you’re only jumping 2’6. I know I would.[/QUOTE]
OP, judging by her “2 1/2 more junior years left” I’d venture to guess this poster is 15 or 16 years old. And this young poster is showing much more maturity than you are at the moment. I didn’t want to be that harsh but I see no other way to word it. You start a thread bemoaning how you quit because you cannot jump as high as you would like. That in itself is backwards because improvement DOES NOT always = jumping higher. Then when all of us try to give you advice (and you’ve received some very good wisdom!) you come up with excuse after excuse and even resorted to name calling… I understand your frustration, but I think you need to learn to channel it into working hard and dedicating yourself to improving regardless of how high you’re jumping.
On a side note, Walktheline, your post was very touching to me. It was so refreshing to read because it seems every couple of weeks a junior comes on here after the realization that they cannot be the next Reed Kessler and posts a thread about it… which is understandable to a point but its just nice to see an understanding in someone your age. You seem to have wisdom and maturity beyond your years.
And good on you for knowing your horse’s limits. That shows true horsemanship. A 20 year old doing to 1.15m is fantastic. I’d love to see pictures 
[QUOTE=2bayboys;7552965]
OP wants to drive a Mercedes but isn’t willing to pay the sticker price.
OP would rather not drive at all if the only option is to drive a Toyota.
OP would like the universe to adjust the price of Mercedes so that she can afford one, or she would like someone else to provide her with one and pay for the insurance too.[/QUOTE]
Better learn to make a good “Sammich” and what goes with it!!!
[QUOTE=IvyHall;7553102]
Zuri, alittlegray- every kind word regarding my horse brings a tear to my eye. Thank you.
He was diagnosed with lymphoma in february and began a 39 week chemo treatment protocol (which has since been reduced to 33 weeks). He is currently in remission!! As for my own health issues, I’m fine! One doc says its RA but the rheumy is unsure based on lab work alone. That being said my older sister has severe RA so they are thinking I’m in the early stages of the disease… which is great bc the earlier its treated the better the prognosis. Nothing is keeping me off my horse, even if its just for a hack around the field
He, just being himself, brings me joy and its something I hope the OP can find.[/QUOTE]
Your horse is lovely! I have a soft spot for TB’s and own 2. Sending you and your horse good wishes for a return to health!
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