My uncle had about 5,000 acres under cultivation, and more in rough grazing land for cattle. At only 11 years old I was driving huge, and I mean HUGE, Caterpillar tractors pulling 8 gang harrows for miles and miles each day. He let me work cattle with his vaqueros on runty but tough little mustangs. It all taught me a great deal and I got to live at home, lucky me.
My first real professional job with horses though I got because neighbors with horses liked to have me exercise theirs for them. And one day I rode an OTTB past a racing stable. The head trainer walked out and stopped me, said he knew the horse. I don't recall the direction the conversation took but as I recall he offered to let me gallop the horse, instead of out in the desert like I usually did, on his quarter mile training track.
Within a month or so I was working for him, and only about 13 years old at the time, riding beautiful and very expensive thoroughbred stock.
I'm not telling you this to brag and make you feel envious. I'm telling you to get out and do things. Whatever you can. Watch where it can take you if you MOVE.
Sitting and thinking about it can only help to create more tension, I suppose, and I suppose too that this can serve, if it gets to hurting enough, to motivate you to move, but why not just move instead?
Are there horses in your neighborhood? Can you ride decently? Do you chat up the owners just because they are neighbors? Get to know people who are doing what you want to do eventually.
Someone that is keen and game to DO rather than just think about it tends to be recognized by others, and they respond to it.
If some kid in my neighborhood right now started hanging out just to be around Bonnie and Altea, and offered to help with cleaning up if they could play with Bonnie, and they were not a nutcase or flake, I'd be letting them do much more.
I know that one day I'll need an apprentice and right now I'm keeping my eyes open for you.
I still follow the rule of MOVE and DO it, so you see I'm not just thinking about it, I'm making decisions that will put such a person in my path. I've decided, for instance, to put Altea in a barn situation for about a month, then bring her home and put Bonnie there. I've already and adult student that is moving her horse there at my suggestion so we can teach and train over winter. I've two young ladies there that are about to start lessons with me.
Barns attract young hopefuls, just like yourself. Go offer to clean stalls. NO ONE ever refuses that offer.
MOVE, DO, be somewhere where it can all happen to you. It's really what everyone here is saying to you.
Hugs,
Donald
Nettlepatch Farm