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In reply to the discussion: Professor: ‘Follow your dreams’ is cruel advice [View all]riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)and this life, while physically demanding, is a dream.
I so wish this had been a possibility for you.
I just have to say that while my husband has done it on the pro level, it really took "me" - the manager - to make it happen. If you didn't have that someone "else" to take over the rest.... it would have been impossible anyway.
I do EVERYTHING else while he rides and trains even now with 30 years of experience - he needs to always be out there so I do everything else. Changing the oil. Scheduling, booking entering and invoicing lessons, clinics, shows. Mowing, client and facility maintenance, advertising, website design, advertising, staffing (yes I speak Spanish - he doesn't), contract negotiations with sponsors, investments, horse/sales prospect searches... gah. Too much.
He would never have "made it" without me.
He thought he'd be a vet but dropped out of a biology program at SUNY Geneseo after 2 years because he was broke. He turned to horse training in desperation after 10 years helping Sue and Terry Williams get Abdullah to the Olympics as a teen. He'd done a ton of Abdullah's dressage work and got lucky with their reference. Right place, right time. He was also heavily respected in the Trakehner breeding world despite his young age - able to handle even the worst stallions....
I just don't know that anyone can make in this sport anymore without $$, serious patronage help, and top class references. Sure its possible to make it as a broke college kid sleeping in stalls helping at shows.
But damn. Its a harsh life.
Seriously? Its not all its cracked up to be....