14/03/2021
We touched on some different expenses from 1D to 5D horses. I feel it’s important to remember:
1: Not everyone wants a 1D horse. It can be exhausting and not nearly as fun as a 3D, same trip every time, go-cart. 🏎
2: No one is saying a 1D horse and a 5D horse deserve anything different, it’s my opinion that 1D horses NEED more to stay at the top, where that 5D horse can stay super consistent a lot of times with regular yearly or semi annual maintenance.
So now that we got y’all thinking.... 🤓
➡️➡️Do you think we work on 1D horses more because where they should clock is more quantifiable? ⬅️⬅️
If my horse is normally at the top and he’s suddenly 2/10ths off I know something is up. Where is my 5d horse runs in the 4D, it’s good, and if he runs out of the money, well he must have had an off day... or it’s “normal.”
I’ll be honest, I don’t even know what I don’t know. I learn from experience, my vet, other trainers, and my shoer, daily. My goal is to never stop learning and asking questions.
A quick story: I always have projects around and I did good on cheap horses, because I never could afford anything. My first real barrel horse was $4,000 bucks and I swear it took me six months to pay her off. I turned rejects into 1D winners, but I couldn’t win at a high level, or do it consistently.
Tiany watched me ride one day and about as bluntly as she could, as I told her how great my projects were, she said to quit making excuses; “look at what you’ve done with horses that no one else wanted, imagine what you could do if you had some good stock.” It resonated with me. Well hell, what could I do? It’s taken me another 5+ years to get here, but this was the goal, today, what I have now. So, did it hurt my feelings when she told me that? Well yea! 🤣 I love my horses! I knew they were doing the best they could. But her point was I wasn’t doing the best I could do.
I work every day to be a better jockey and trainer. I have had some amazing horses that weren’t top of the game, and even today, I give them every opportunity to do their best, because there is always someone out there that will be their perfect home, no matter how they clock.
Don’t stop growing. 🌿
So what keeps you from treating your horse like a 1D winner? Do you not know, what you don’t know? Do you have a good vet and shoer on your team? Do you ask other people who you see are successful what they do? Do you watch exhibitions and late night tuning sessions at shows? Do you make an effort everyday to give your horses the best opportunities to be great? Food for thought guys 🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏🍎
📸Sway is my heart horse and I love all my silly pictures of her. She did not understand why she spent so much time in the spa this weekend. 🤣
