16/02/2024
The more we travel to shows the more overwhelmed I am by the amount of money required to play our sport. My daughter thrives in the jumper ring so I need to make this work. I asked around and came up with a list of things I wish I knew/did 10 years ago, so I figured I would share…
Volunteer for everything and do a great job, it opens doors and creates relationships.
Don’t be afraid to ask people for advice - most would love to chat and share their experience, be ok if they are too busy. Always ask, always be ok with the answer being no.
Read everything, or if you’re not a reader listen to podcasts, audiobooks, always learn
Learn German or Spanish, trust me.
Get a subscription to ClipMyHorse.tv for 149 Euro/year. Not only can you watch an awesome amount of international shows BUT they have an Academy that is included in the subscription. Tons of mini lessons from the best in the world.
Work the hardest (body clip, braid, muck stalls, etc) - it’s seen and appreciated by those that count
Become obsessive with your horse and its care. Obsess about their feed, their feet, their condition, make the horse you have the very best it can be.
This is silly but valid… make a note on your phone of what coffee order folks want. Nothing better than someone walking up during a long show day with your favorite drink. Relationships matter.
Be thankful to everyone. Thank the ingate, the jump crew, the course designer, the steward - their job is under appreciated and without them no one can be successful.
Help load/unload your shavings and hay deliveries. Please. I hate when folks sip lattes watching others sweat.
Find a side hustle in the horse business. We started Millbrook Leathers - there is a ton of customers out there, start small but start, every dollar counts.
Tell your fellow competitors good job, clap for them, become a friend and a supporter. It’s ok to have friends outside your own barn.
If you’re waiting for a jump, help the trainer on the jump adjust it - go up 2, go wider - you’re anyway just standing there waiting, be helpful.
No hoof, no horse. Ask questions, chat with your farrier.
When I was 16yo I braided enough manes to afford a flight to Switzerland. I worked my butt off for free, and it changed my life. People always say going to Europe is a dream, it can be a reality. 
Show up as the person you needed when you were growing up.
This is the hardest one… say hi to people when you pass. Lots of times I think they have no idea who I am, so I just look at my phone, look the other way. If you’ve met them or had some sort of interaction chances are they remember you. Make eye contact, say good morning, develop all the relationships.
Get a dog. That’s just general life advice, get a dog.
If you’re a woman, ask for opportunities, be ok with the answer being no. So many men are at the top of the sport and I swear it’s because they actively ask for opportunity while women tend to work hard and passively hope to be noticed. Ask. All they can say is yes or no, it may start a conversation and who knows where that will lead.
Dont get so busy chasing dreams that you forget the fun.
If you’re moving up a level or just need to work out kinks, do the blue ribbon rounds or school on Tuesdays/mornings if allowed. Division classes are $$ and if you’re not ready to be competitive why not do the same height in a no pressure/less cost situation? I feel like these options are too often overlooked.
If you’re a working student, be first in last out. What you lack in experience and talent make up for in work ethic. Talent is everywhere, dedicated horsemen are a rarity.
Someone is ALWAYS watching. The good and the bad.
Get the VIP. Trust me, I was never this person. But now I budget that into my savings plan - scrimp elsewhere to splurge there. VIP is where folks are sitting and relaxing, some of the most influential conversations I’ve had have happened in VIP because people had the time to chat.
Be kind and grateful to the office staff. They get all sorts of rude behavior thrown at them. They want you to succeed and your paperwork to be easy. Appreciate them and if there are issues work through them with patience and kindness at the forefront. Also, bring them cookies or cake because they are locked at that desk – who doesn’t love snacks?
Always watch the warm up, listen and learn, the warm up is the best place to be.
Talk to the course designer, ask them what's hard in their course, what's easy in the course, why they did it, etc
Walk the small classes and the big classes, then see if they ride how you thought
If you see someone needing help, go help them - this should be obvious but…
Talk to the grooms in your aisle, bring them coffee, they have so much knowledge and are so undervalued.
Look outside the box when traveling to shows. Do you have to stable on grounds or is there a trailer in option? Our horses stay in a beautiful field in Wellington for $10/day, yes it means we drive back and forth a lot, but $10/day…
If you’re a USEF member you get 10% off at Dover
Even if you aren’t a hunter, watch the pro hunter ring. Just watch trips. Many of them. In the jumpers there are fairly obvious moves made to accomplish goals. In the hunters you start to see the tiny, minuscule adjustments that add to super consistent pace and get an incredible jump out of a horse. All of these adjustments are useful tools.
Your horse’s stomach health needs to be focused on more.
Unless you have uses for hauling other things, do not get a truck and trailer to save hauling money. If you are taking less than 3 horses to every show it will rarely even out.
Be grateful. Always.
If outside hay/shavings are allowed, bring them or go to local Murdoch’s/Tractor Supply avoid paying the mark up. Always go to the gas station for ice.
Clinics! There are so many clinics out there, if you can’t afford to ride in them then audit them.
USHJA offers Emerging Athletes Program, Gold Star Clinic, etc – try to join this pathway, it’s invaluable access to some of the industry’s top professionals.
And last but not least, always pet the pony.
What would you add?
