I've always considered anything to do with horses to be "elitist" and never thought I, as a middle income wage earner would ever have more than a passing acquaintance with it, however, in 1981, I gave birth to a beautiful little girl who quickly became enamored with the huge beasts from the time she could talk.

At the time, I figured it was a passing fancy that she would soon outgrow, so I was not concerned with the costs involved with horses, riding lessons, equestrian clothing, etc.

In her elementary school years, my daughter did not excel. According to her teachers and other child experts we took her to, she was mentally slow. They told my husband and I that we should not be concerning ourselves with a college education for her. We just knew they were wrong and set out to prove it was THEM, not her who was deficient.

Her first riding lesson took place when our daughter was 10 years old. We watched in wonder as perched atop the horse, she transformed from the shy, introverted persona that she portrayed in school and became the self-confident champion that we had been sure lurked inside.

But, oh, the expense of it all. Keeping her on that horse became almost unmanageable for us over that next year, and we suffered trying to pay the costs of this "horse habit".

Then, in the sixth grade, we were offered a trade off for her riding lessons. If she worked at the stables, doing everything from grooming horses to helping new, younger riders, she could earn her lessons.

Six years later, our daughter graduated from high school with top honors in all her subjects as well as with a full scholarship to one of the best colleges in the United States. When she was 17, she finally removed the name of her old horse, Merlin, from its place of honor on her notebook, replacing it with the name of her boyfriend. But the boyfriend was well aware that this honor was bestowed upon him only because he also had a deep passion for horses.

Our 3.8 grade point average college graduate never cost us a dime after her sixth grade. She worked steadily at the stable until she graduated.

We look back over our daughter's growing up years and her educational career, and we realize that her passion for everything about horses, and her love of riding not only helped her be successful in that field, but in school and every other area of her life. The determination and work ethic that was required for her to follow her passion taught important lessons, and her willingness to earn her own lessons from an early age, showed her the way to achieve by hard work in a way that many other parents have wished their children possessed.

We are extremely glad that we allowed our daughter to become involved in this "costly" pastime all those years ago. It acted as an incentive for her to adjust and find her place in this otherwise crazy world. Horses accomplished what the "experts" could not - just by being there for her.

Want to read more about horses and the many advantages of being near them? Come to my website and learn how to take care of horses through feeding, health care, exercise, and even horse bedding

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Written by Rachel M. Quake using tags: animal care, animals, horses, Pet Care, Pets