How To Succeed in The Industry 

I’ve written a lot about the older generation of horsemen and women, and what they need to do to bridge the gap in the industry- reaching out and providing opportunities for those coming up.

So this one is for the young folks coming up. Do you want excellence in horsemanship?

Here are some ways to achieve that:

1- tenacity.

Every older person I’ve ever admired with skills I admire has a story of tenacity. Getting rejected and sticking it out, trying again. Failing and starting over. All the uncomfortable stuff nobody likes. We look at those folks on a pedestal and think, how lucky they are to have their opportunities - but I can think of three folks off the top of my head who slept in a barn and wouldn’t leave until the instructor of their choice finally agreed to take them on.

Rejection, failure, looking a fool- you can’t get ahead without accepting these three demons. Marry them and get used to it.

It sucks, but it is essential. If you are turned away at your first embarrassment, quit over your first hurt feelings, and give up at your first rejection, nobody can help you much.

2- humility -

Young folks face a new challenge none of us were familiar with growing up. It is very easy now to edit your life, post only the best clips of a ride, and be considered an expert far too soon for your benefit. Not to sound old, but for a long time young trainers had to take on the worst horses and worst jobs and “pay their dues” to earn respect- I wouldn’t wish low pay and getting beat up by horses on younger people but - there is something to be said for delayed gratification.

I watch in sadness when young, talented trainers are lost to their own good press and get swallowed up by social media’s ability to present themselves as more capable than they are, more educated than they are. This makes it nearly impossible for them to recieve important basic instruction, to put in the leg work to actually gain those skills they need- because the risk is it goes against the carefully curated image.

I have lost more talented young students to this pressure than to their lack of talent or even rejection. Be yourself, be clear on your skills, and keep your sights to where you want to be someday - it is ok and normal to not be an expert at 25. Nobody is - I am not an expert at 36, but thankfully there wasn’t TikTok when I was 25, and I was busy putting time in on lots of colts.

3- find a mentor and hold on to them.

Don’t get lost in every corner of the internet. Find someone who has the skills and abilities you admire, and stick to what they have to teach you about how to get there.

If you are constantly derailed by every pretty bird that flies by, you are going to lose a lot of valuable ground.

It’s pretty rare these days for somebody to stick to and learn a methodology for a long period of time - but this is the unfortunate reality of what it actually takes to get good. Practice your scales over and over - don’t expect to be rewarded with oodles of praise before you hunker down on being teachable.

And finally:

4- pass it on.

When you understand things a little more, have some confidence in what you can and can’t do, and are learned enough to be truly humble and open: offer it to another person. Take your gift you worked hard for and spread it around to those hungry for it.

Make the world a better place by sharing what you earned, for the good of people and the good of the horse. Don’t be so smothered in self doubt that you keep it to yourself out of some false pretense of humility -

That’s not what humility is anyway . Humility isn’t lack of confidence at all - it is surrender of the self to the greater whole. You are a steward of horses and other people: so go forth and spread the good.

Photo by Jessie Cardew