Monday, January 2, 2012

Young People Moving On

     I received a nice and very complimentary email from a former student the other day.  This young lady worked for me and took lessons from me for several years.  She proved to be a hard worker and an eager learner, always happy and cheerful and doing more than I asked.  Unfortunately, life was not easy for her, she had many burdens on her young shoulders but you would never have known it.  She is now trying to make it on her own, finding her own way as she goes.  I am proud of her!
     As I contemplate this “blast from the past”, I am struck by her desire to achieve her goals.  To me showing horses is all about goals, not dreams but goals.  I see people in this business who try to buy their way to success.  And with enough money and enough attempts, they very often get some of what they desire.  But they never attain everything they could because the easy way doesn’t teach all you need for ultimate success.  They choose not to take the longer, more arduous road, but the shorter, quicker one  and they cheat themselves by doing so.   When my students and horses do well at Nationals and Regionals, I always think of all the work involved.  Work that was many times joyful and brought happiness but was an effort and commitment all the same.
     Let me be absolutely clear, always buy the best horse you can.  There is never a  replacement for a good horse.  They are your partner and without them you are nowhere.  Buy a horse that suits you, your needs and level of accomplishment, then find a trainer that suits you and your horse.  But don’t take short cuts because when it gets really tough, you’ll find you won’t have the skills to cope.  There is a ladder to success but you must climb it one rung at a time!   See you next week.  JD

No comments:

Post a Comment