A Touch of the Harsh Reality of Life
HW
student paper

Everyday on the ten o’clock news, I would hear about more homes going into foreclosure, companies going into bankruptcy and people loosing their jobs. I knew that this was happening all around the country but it was hard for me to realize just how serious this economic crisis was, until my father lost his job.
My Father has always had very good jobs, being Vice President of the company or CEO and helping them with million dollar deals. When he lost his job my whole world changed. My parents had always been supportive of my passion for horses. To the point most people would think it was almost ridiculous! I started riding at the age of 2, and by the time I was a freshman in high school I had two upper level mares, “The Party’s Over” and “Magnolia” competing on the show circuit; and winning, if I may add. I also attended a private school; so with tuition and two horses in full training with a very full show schedule, my parents were shoveling out money.

When my father first had told me he was getting laid off because the company made some unwise business decisions, a million thoughts were running through my head.

“What am I going to do? How am I going to be able to show my horses, go shopping with friends? Go on lavish vacations with the family?”

My father assured me everything would be okay. My parents still continued to live life as they had, paying for school, horses and horse shows. I soon started to realize they were living off their savings. I was not okay with that decision. As soon as I graduated from Notre Dame in Belmont I went and got a job.

July 6th, 2007, one of the hottest days of that summer I started at Carousel Saddlery in Portola Valley California. I had been going to this saddle shop since I was a little girl buying various things from show apparel to just cookies for my horses, Carousel saddlery was a perfect fit for me. After my first month at the saddle shop I saved about 75% of my paycheck and I decided that I would offer to my parents to help pay for my horses. My parents agreed that it was a good idea. I never realized the value of a dollar until I started paying for my horse. How quickly that money can be in your account, and then just “Poof” disappear.

In the beginning of September I was working at carousel saddlery, and a trainer on the circuit named Beth Temkin came into carousel and asked me if I wanted a job as her assistant trainer. Of course I said yes because Beth was a well-known trainer and it was an honor to even be offered that job. Working as Beth’s assistant I would be in charge of all of the pony lessons for the kids, riding and training 8 of the 16 horses, and making sure all of the horses were well taken care of by the grooms. Doesn’t sound too bad, now does it?

I started working for Beth in October of 2007. But I had to move my horse to her barn, at the Portola Valley training center. I moved Party to the training center on October 1st. The new facility that I would have her at was far more expansive than her previous barn. I had to work seven days a week in order to pay for her training, board, feed, vet and shoeing. I was not about to ask my parents for any help considering everything they had done for me until I graduated high school.

I worked for Beth from October 2007 until September 2008. I worked on holidays, and missed family vacations. At that point I was so burnt out on riding that I just needed to stop. It was amazing to see eleven months made me hate the sport that I had been doing for almost 18 years. I wanted my horse, but I also wanted my life. Unfortunately when it came time for me to try and sell my horse Party, the stock market had just crashed and no one was buying anything. So I decided to wait it out, go back to school and just let her have a vacation in a pasture until the market got better.

The Market for horses however was not getting any better, especially since you could purchase a horse that was regularly $150,000 for $50,000. So I made the decision of donating my horse to a riding school. Most people would think I was crazy for just giving my horse away, after all the money we paid for her and then spent putting into her for training, showing and whatever else. I did not look at it like that. My horse moved to a barn where everyone loves her. She’s the super model of the barn, Dark brown, tall and athletic with the most beautiful face anyone has ever seen.

After going through the roller coaster of money with my family and myself for the past two years. I realized just how important it is to save money and not be so frivolous with my spending. I thank my parent’s as often as I can for everything they had done for me growing up, all the money they had spent on me.