05/29/2025
It is a heck of a lot easier to HAVE opportunity than to MAKE opportunity, but so often what we see in “real life” is that those who have horses galore don’t want it or care about it, while some other hungry scrappy kid without a horse and without family support will move the earth to create the chance to ride.
This is the kid who will shovel stalls for a chance to ride, who will give up all sorts of “normal” teen age stuff to spend more time at the barn, and who will end up the better rider than the ones who have rose petals sprinkled in their paths.
Now, sure, we also see that some of the biggest name riders will have had both, support coupled with drive. Horses are expensive and increasingly unavailable to many, but every so often, just enough to keep the dream alive, some Kathy Kusner or Michael Matz will appear.
It is naïve to think that the children who grow up with huge parental support don’t have a big edge, but there are still examples where drive and hunger and a huge work ethic tipped the otherwise unbalanced scale. Passionate desire can overcome lots of barriers.
