January! First thought: It’s cold! Second thought: Are fuel prices ever going to go down?
All joking aside, it’s a month of change. And with all this change upon us, I am hopeful that 2025 is a fresh start, a new perspective and a place for us to recognize our common cores and meet in the middle.
I’m talking, of course, about professionals in the equine industry versus the recreational riders — the owners — the horse “lovers,” if you will.
I’m rarely ever the expert on any subject, but I feel that in this field, I have qualified, dual personalities and can argue both sides. I grew up as one of those homely kids with horses embroidered on my ballcap and a piggy bank that sacked away dollar bills. I bought an Arabian gelding at a boarding stable. And now, I’m about 20 years into being immersed in this horse industry for both the love and the living it brings me. So, I see all of you. And I don’t know how to tactfully tackle this topic without inflaming the internet, but here goes.
The trainers have it good. We live our passion and know the ins and outs of the industry. We get paid to do what YOU love. Yes, what we love, but what you love. We make commissions and win money and sell horses for more than we paid for them and can own as many dogs as we want without a Homeowners Association going berserk. We know the reward of a hard day physically and never stop growing and stretching our knowledge and skills.
The “non-professionals” have it good. They can dedicate all their time and love to a couple of horses and pick what, who, when, where and IF they ride. They can take vacations and still make money, and they don’t have to make phone calls to owners with bad news about their uninsured gelding. They seek it out and have other things they like to do and can put on a cowboy hat and have a great weekend. They’ve got air conditioning, designated hours and flexibility on holidays.
But we both have our struggles, too. Happiness is not simply sitting in the saddle, and it’s dang sure not avoiding it, either. Anyone who feels like they’ve “got the right balance” is no one I know, professional or not. There is no perfect answer because our situations are constantly changing. Our horsemanship evolves, goals shift, round pegs become square ones and inflation is inevitable.
Trot on.
The trainers roll their eyes at the owners.
“Crazy lady.”
The owners roll their eyes at the trainers.
“Without me, you’d be broke!”
And at times, we are both right.
Some of us need a horse to make the money in our lives.
Some of us need money to make the horse work in our lives.
Neither one of us is wrong.
We all stem from the same stuff. We can say it’s a choice, but to all of us who are in this for the long haul, it chose us. Horses and the world they’ve created for us are as much a part of our lives as anything else. The good days are off the charts. The bad days still make the good ones worth it.
There are days when the recreational rider dreams of being a professional, making their living while on horseback (or at least, in a barn somewhere) and immersing themselves in training, learning, growing and enjoying horses. There are days when the equine professionals dream of riding one or two for fun and leaving their lesson refreshed and encouraged, on their way to have a professional late lunch and cocktails in a climate-controlled environment.
What I do know is that we all have the same stuff in our bones, and we all enjoy the common thread of this story — the horse. We’ve woven the horse into our lives and made sacrifices on many levels to keep it there. We need to remember to treat him the way he deserves and to treat each other the same way, too. We may not always agree or be a perfect fit in each other’s lives, but we’re all moving in the same direction and need to honor each other’s processes.
Open, non-pro, rec rider or cowboy, we’re all paying the same price for diesel, so let’s give each other a little slack.
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