I have been asked this question all my life! I really don’t have an answer. Or, the answer would take so long it would fill a book.
College Years
My family did not have the money to send me to college, but I had been raised to believe I could do anything I was willing to work hard enough for. The specific hard work in this case was the mountain of papers to apply for scholarships, grants and eventually student loans. Daunting, but that, and some financial help from my parents and siblings, got me through the minefield of paying for my education. Which, by the way, was much more affordable than it is today.
The college I attended was on a trimester program, so I had one third of the year available to work. I suppose the intent should have been to make as much money as possible to offset college expenses, but what fun is that?
Summer Jobs
My first summer, I returned to the city riding stable. The second summer, I landed a position as the head riding instructor at a summer church camp. My job started a week before the campers arrived. I received seven horses to evaluate and get ready for the summer. These horses were leased from a company that provided this service to many summer camps. All winter the horses were out to pasture, then gathered and delivered to the camps for the summer. Therefore, they had not been ridden at all for the prior 8 or 9 months. And I had one week to get these horses ready for young children to ride and interact with. Many of the campers, and counselors, had never ridden a horse before they came to camp.
I was in my element and I forged memories and friendships at camp that have lasted a lifetime. And I added to my passion for working with horses. Some of these horses will show up in my series of stories told by Lightning, Equine Storyteller.
Not quite a horse job – but close
The third summer, I was offered a job in northern Pennsylvania at a resort of sorts. Family owned, they had several cabins for rent, a campground, a miniature golf course, canoe rentals, and horse rentals. My primary duties included cleaning the cabins between rentals, cleaning the campground bath houses twice a day, and preparing lunches for the staff of about eight. I also drove the family truck into town to do the shopping, banking, and errands for the family. Town was a 45-minute drive from the resort. In return, I was paid a small wage, got living quarters in a primitive cabin, and I was fed.
In my free time, I could ride any of the horses that were available and help the guys in charge of the horses. There were great trail rides and awesome wildlife to see. I also discovered my love of foraging for wild edibles that summer.
My first non-horse related job
My fourth summer was not so exciting. I found a “real” job working in a factory. This job taught me a lot – about unions, shift work, piece work and manufactured food products. I also made some amazing friends.
But this was the start of the horseless season of my life. No, I never lost the passion, but life and a career took over and my exposure to horses was only through reading and the occasional ride on vacation. I was an adult now and was expected to give up childish pastimes like horses.
Do you share my passion for equines? Tell me your experiences with horses in a comment below. I’d love to hear it! Thanks for stopping by!
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