tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817758588420976932.post7358054779415014665..comments2024-03-22T03:49:11.644-07:00Comments on Life With Horses: Adopt a MottoCindy Halehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06826221923988198322noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817758588420976932.post-53067994838983004872007-12-07T10:27:00.000-08:002007-12-07T10:27:00.000-08:00What a lovely, inspiring story, Gina. Thanks for s...What a lovely, inspiring story, Gina. Thanks for sharing!Cindy Halehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06826221923988198322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817758588420976932.post-64076280036418182342007-12-03T17:09:00.000-08:002007-12-03T17:09:00.000-08:00I know I'm a bit late - but I wanted to mention th...I know I'm a bit late - but I wanted to mention that my motto is "Never give up, even when the going gets tough." I'm the only deaf rider I know, and people have always told me that I couldn't (1) train a horse, (2) show successfully, or (3) teach younger girls how to ride. <BR/><BR/>However, in my decade of riding, I've retrained three OTTBs, two rescue ponies. I have many tricolors to prove that I have shown successfully in hunters <I>and</I> dressage. I'm also currently teaching a eight-year old how to ride as well - and the thing is, my student is half blind. <BR/><BR/>Just shows how much you can accomplish when you put your heart in it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817758588420976932.post-11961206636546305672007-11-30T00:02:00.000-08:002007-11-30T00:02:00.000-08:00Thank you all for your heartfelt comments. I hope ...Thank you all for your heartfelt comments. I hope you don't mind if I refer to these in a future blog posting. <BR/><BR/>I grew up in a less-than-wealthy family and it was always a financial struggle to find the money for my sister and me to show. Though I could afford it more easily when I became an adult and had a job with a nice income, it was still stressful to take so much money out of the budget to put toward a horse show. Now I see the same struggles with the group of young girls that I teach. As their riding instructor, I encourage them to increase their horsemanship skills, and I love for them to test those skills at shows. But most of them will be limited in how far they can go in their showing due to the cost of competing. And that will be a hard lesson for some of them to accept.Cindy Halehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06826221923988198322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817758588420976932.post-85970848528454064252007-11-29T08:53:00.000-08:002007-11-29T08:53:00.000-08:00I agree with you, Cindy. I'm in the 8th grade and ...I agree with you, Cindy. I'm in the 8th grade and there are 8 people in my family. so, as you can amagine, money doesn't come easy. But here I am, being able to work for riding and lessons. Then why do I get so green-eyed at my fellow riders who can afford to go to every show? I like the motto above, "Be thankful for what you have. I'll try.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817758588420976932.post-80718956970697463002007-11-29T07:48:00.000-08:002007-11-29T07:48:00.000-08:00Extremely well said, and written. Though I am only...Extremely well said, and written. Though I am only in the beginning stages of my riding, I sometimes get very discouraged when I see competitors roll into the arena grounds with their large trailers, and high dollar, (highly trained) horses. It's at these times that I must remind myself that everyone has had to start somewhere. I also have to remind myself that I may never make it to the NFR, but that shouldn't stop me from doing my best with what I have, at the time that I have it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817758588420976932.post-41617152208828431842007-11-28T14:27:00.000-08:002007-11-28T14:27:00.000-08:00You are so right. I am only in middle school,but I...You are so right. I am only in middle school,but I would love to get to the top, but am never going to unless my family wins the lottery some how. Luckily I am still able to compete locally! My motto is "Be thankful for what you have" (I can ride at all) Some of my friends can't compete so I am lucky I can. I always take any of the chances I get. Althought I absoulutely love your motto too! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6817758588420976932.post-26527582947231747902007-11-28T10:43:00.000-08:002007-11-28T10:43:00.000-08:00I understand completely what you’re talking about....I understand completely what you’re talking about. :-) I think my motto has more been along the lines of “Necessity is the Mother of Invention.” As a single 24 year old, buying and affording a horse can be a huge challenge. When my horse of twenty years passed, I only lasted a year before I knew there was no way for me to live without owning another horse. My solution? I, bought a yearling. This decision, albeit somewhat risky, can be much more affordable than buying a fully trained adult horse. It does however come with two major requirements: Tons of Patience and Dedication.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com