Teenagers

I thought I would comment on a part of my job that I love. In this business there are trainers who love the baby beginners, there are trainers who love the AA circuit showers, (that word always looks so funny when I type it), there are people who love pony riders, etc. As a trainer you have to teach them all as they come, but my passion...

The teenagers!!! Yes I'm a glutton for punishment. I love watching them go from children to young adults right in front of my eyes. I watch them mature as individuals every day. I love to coaching them into right thinking and understanding. It's important to remember they are children and as such will make selfish, manipulative choices that typically don't result in the what they want. That's when we pick them up, dust them off, give them a hug and talk about how to make a different choice next time.

The innocence that is in their eyes as they share their dreams and goals with you is unmistakeable. As an adult it can be difficult to not get caught up in what they want. It's my responsibility to get them as close to that dream as I can, without allowing them to blow reality out of the water. This requires quite a dance. It is a balancing act of communication between the teenager, myself, and most importantly the parents.

Some parents are very involved at the barn everyday, going tack shopping with me, and travelling to shows with us. Others have more committments and our contact may be limited to the phone and occasionally travelling to a show with us. Either way it's important to recognize the parents are doing the best they can and know how for their child. In teenagerdom the lines of communication between parent and child frequently become strained. A large part of my job is keeping that communication going. I can't rely solely on what the teenagers are saying. Let's be honest it's very rarely their money we're spending on these dreams. I do have many riders who pay a portion of their board bills and/or showing expenses themselves. But, I don't have any who don't receive help from mom or dad.

Long and short of this... I LOVE MY JOB! I LOVE MY RIDERS! I LOVE MY PARENTS! I LOVE PUNISHMENT!