I hate this generalization. 
You also had luck and access⊠do you think everybody who lives paycheque to paycheque to make rent and feed their kids doesnât work hard and make sacrifices? Pulling yourself out of poverty is so much more than hard work. Our socioeconomic climate is designed to keep people in poverty. Iâm not denying that you worked hard and made sacrifices, but people have worked just as hard as you and made just as many sacrifices and are still at the bottom.
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Please tell me how I had luck or access?
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One good thing about modern horsemanship is Velcro. OK, it gets full of hair and hay if not cleaned regularly but putting on boots, for anything, is now a doddle compared to doing up multiple tiny leather straps and buckles and even worse, undoing soaking wet and muddy multiple tiny buckles. And thank heavens that bandaging (wraps) of any kind have largely disappeared. I can but why would I?
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I read both articles/blogs/opinion pieces, and found points in both that I agreed with, and points that I thought were over the top.
2 key things that my mind went toâŠ
- Lesley mentions at one point something about how if her son ever had a look on his face like these girls, she would address it very quickly and firmly⊠this part made me laugh out loud. Iâm raising two teenagers now, including a wonderful son. He used to be a lovely, easygoing, âpeople-pleasingâ pre-teen. Then puberty happened. And boy oh boy⊠the moodiness and disrespect at times? Itâs a lot. Anyway⊠I keyed in on that part of her opinion piece, because it read to me like she has yet to have some specific parenting experiences (the transition from lovely child to challenging teenager), and she is a bit ignorant when looking around and judging other teens and young adults, who were raised by other parents. Hopefully her son is a perfect angel who never has one disrespectful word or facial expression in public from 13-23âŠ
Another thought on the same issue. Iâm an adult ammy who is presently working with a great trainer, to both train and ride a home-bred 5 year old mare. Itâs a journey. Iâm doing this while in the midst of raising two human teenagers. Itâs all provided some interesting perspective for me as a horsewoman. Young horses who are in training, and past the super green stage of âjust go forward at wtc, try for a little rhythm and relaxation and pop over a cross railâ (which is a little like human k-5 education), young horses who have progressed to the stage where they are learning how to do things like basic lateral movement, how to use their hind end more, go in a balanced and straight way, and have started going to clinics and shows (a bit like human high school )? Well - horses at that stage are sort of like human teenagers and young adults in their early twenties. A good horse trainer should have some patience, empathy, and compassion for a young horse when they have moments of frustration, or a bad/moody day when out at a show or clinic. Especially young mares. It happens. We all know this. Itâs a long, multi-step and mult-year journey to train a really nice performance animal. Expecting perfection, and perfect behavior all the time, is unrealistic. And sometimes they take a small step backwards before making a significant step forward. So why not take the same attitude with teenage humans? They are still learning life lessons and skills as well. Be patient and positive, and turn challenges/bad moments into learning experiences. Young humans can be obnoxious and exhausting⊠trust me⊠I know this all too well⊠but nasty criticism over facial expressions at a clinic? Itâs unnecessary. Simply encouraging young riders to be mindful of appearing appreciative/engaged when attending clinics is something Lesley could have written about instead. She could have talked about that issue in a more positive and constructive way. I find that moody teens are better able to absorb advice and criticism when you approach them in a slightly more positive wayâŠ
Onto my next pointâŠ
- How many times has everyone heard the saying âGreen plus Green equals Black and Blue?â Itâs true. I rode plenty of green horses and OTTBs as a teen⊠and some were downright dangerous, and I got really hurt. It actually set my riding back in many ways for multiple years. People should be more supportive of young riders who do actually ride schoolmasters for periods of time. Itâs good for the young riderâs long term development. It makes for a better rider and potential trainer one day. Yes⊠good horses and schoolmasters are expensive, and not every young rider can afford this opportunity. But that shouldnât mean that people - especially top tier professionals- should bash the kids who do have this opportunity. The bashing comes across as gratuitous at times, and counterproductive.
*edited to fix typos and grammar
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Can you please come parent all my students?
Signed, an exhausted-at-the-end-of-the-school-year English teacher
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I think weâll have to agree to disagree on this one. Certainly there are wealthy kids in many others areas of life too, but we participate in a sport where you can purchase an animal who is not aimed at the Olympics for six figure price tags. Some of those horses are ridden by children. I would conclude that those children are from wealthy families, and from personal experience with the industry and the market I believe there will always be a place for those horses and those children. I donât think they are the majority, and I donât think there is anything wrong with their presence, but I do think it is a fact that they exist.
You hit the nail on the head. The creature comforts are nicer when you can get them, but life is not easier and it really justâŠshould be. I do wish we had made so much more progress.
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I can agree with this wholeheartedly. I didnât think of it from that perspective. Youâre absolutely right.
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Sorry, I feel for you! I admire my kidsâ teachers so much. My teen had a wonderful English teacher this year. He is very much a math kid, but she got through to him and taught him so much about how to analyze literature with his STEM brain. She pushed him in ways that were so beneficial and I could see the growth in his analytics. So much so that I introduced him to Monty Python recentlyâŠheâs able to enjoy it like it should be enjoyed now. Lol.
Your work is appreciated!
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Ugh, Iâve always hated that saying though. Sure you canât BUY happiness with money, but Iâm certainly going to be happier with horses, and horses require money.
Also, people tend to be happier when their basic needs are met (housing, food, etc). That all requires money.
ETA - not to mention, for those suffering from mental health disorders / issues that require medication And / or therapyâŠâŠI hate to say it but you get better health care in this country when you have money. I hate that itâs like that, but thatâs the way it is. Higher paying jobs (ie: more money) tend to come with better health care / coverage options. This is a generalization that I know does not reply to everyone, but Iâm saying as a whole.
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This is just my experience, so take it for what it is worth, but the teens and young adults in my circle do all of these things and more. But they were all brought up in Pony Club where it was just as important to learn on the ground as in the saddle.
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Even at the most basic redneck of schools kids care about brand name clothing. So annoying but definitely something that happens everywhere not just private schools.
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I agree with all you said. Especially on a horse board, for heavenâs sake. How often have we spoken about how even casual riding is increasingly challenging to afford for middle-class people? Or even people who are miserable and stressed out because they canât ride but also give a beloved older horse a decent retirement?
To say nothing of how awful it is to not be able to afford decent food, a place to exercise, and knowing you can pay medical bills. Even if the basics are being met, itâs not a comfortable place to be living on a subsistence level.
Quite a few marriages end because of money fights.
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âMoney canât buy happinessâ - after a certain point. Thereâs a threshold where a person can afford âeverythingâ that would actually make them happier (stability and safety, time away from work, the ability to pursue passions and hobbies, etc), and where making more money starts to become a competition/status symbol/stress point rather than a benefit.
Money 100% does buy happiness - but it doesnât feel that way to the already rich and comfortable.
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âThat thing about happiness and money? Tell it to the bread line.ââMark Knopfler.
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I am not sure I agree with that. Once you have the basics, food shelter, money to pay the gas bill, different priorities produce different results. Being single, and having a good job that paid pretty well and had wonderful benefits, I did pretty well. My sister, had a family, raised 3 kids on about half my salary. She was constantly stressed about money, but she had a great life. She pinched every penny, and every year, they went camping. She managed to get to New York and see Cats on Broadway, something I never quite managed to do. Money certainly helps, but happiness must come from the inside.
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RemovedâŠdidnât know it was against the rules.
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Did you ask if this rider wanted to be posted and critiqued here?
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No, I didnât know it was against the rules and she was clearly a well-educated rider on the flat six years ago so I donât understand at all.
Didnât think anyone would negatively critique that level of riding in a 17 year old and wanted to show the type of rider Mrs. Law is bullying in the article.
If anyone wants to know what the video showed, it showed the rider that was called âuselessâ on the flat performing lengthened trots and canters, leg yields, counter canters, transitions, halts, lead changes, and working the horse both long and low and very uphill and correctly working from the hind end from 6 years ago. It was beautiful riding.
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Not against the rules, I just I think considering the situation, and this being CoTH, I would ask the rider before opening up them to this.
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I made the point about Pony Club and its years of provable statistics over a large sampling of people for proof that it creates excellent all around horsemen and I got a lot of negativity back about how people dislike Pony Club. I am sad thatâs the sentiment about a great organization. I am sadder that people are so addicted to hating on things that they all missed my point entirely.
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