Thank you everyone that replied. I read all of your stories and it looks like I may not be alone in this situation! I have been riding since I could walk and I am not giving it up any time soon.
Thank you!
PNWjumper, I’m so excited for you to be doing the horses full time now!
I totally think it can be done, it might be harder for you as you are used to being in a training program. But I have basically spent my entire life riding by myself. Back in school days I would go to my coach’s every holiday and summers. It also gave me the chance to go ride for a lot of different people during summer break. For the last ten years I have been on my own and less and less time for lessons. It is tough by times and I know I have some bad habits from riding on my own. But I also think riding on my own has taught me so much. There was no one else around to tell me what to do. I had to learn to figure out what was wrong with the horse, and to make things better. I also never had the chance to be scared of getting on something, no one else was going to do it. I do try to get to some clinics, once in a while I go for lessons on the long weekends, and usually have a coach at the bigger shows. And any knowledge and help I get I write it down and go back over it in the future when I am having troubles.
You learn so much more about horsemanship on your own too. You read online, ask questions, and get to form your own opinions on the way you want to do things. I love it!!
“I” am the staff 
(staff of 1). I just showed up at our corporate center for a meeting in an actual dress and still found a piece of hay clinging to me…
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Oh gosh. I am currently sitting at my very corporate job after riding before work…and I can smell the barn on me. :lol:
Thank you, pattnic! 
Hoping I don’t have to go back to the corporate world any time soon!
