When You're Told Your Horse Isn't Good Enough

This video is for all those who have been told their horse would never amount to much. Look at where this horse began and where he is at the end! "Winners are losers who just kept on trying."

Info from the video:

We've come a long way, and he's taught me so much. If there's one thing that Tiny can teach us all, it's that appearances mean nothing and you -can- beat the odds.

It's so hard to believe that that gangly, unbalanced, u g l y horse at the beginning of the video is the same horse as the one at the end. He had an ewe neck, enlarged right knee (with not one, but two splints popped on it), a short neck, and long, wobbly legs. Eventually he grew into a beautiful horse with a lot of elbow grease and muscle building. But it was a long, long road.

Over the years, we have had a lot of setbacks and I have doubted his abilities, and so have trainers I have come across. Those quotes in the middle are things people have said to me about Tiny.

I sure am glad I didn't listen to them!

There were times we couldn't make it around a 2'3 course to save our lives. At one point, I got run away with over cross rails and had 5 rails down in one course over that height. With perseverance, we've moved up to jumping 3'6-3'9 courses regularly. But it definitely took a lot of time and patience, and most of all humility on my part!

And the dressage... don't get me started. That is our weakest subject. I was told once by a renowned instructor that my horse will never be good enough to do prelim (ie, first) level dressage for the B Pony Club rating. Silly me, I let that stick in the back of my mind for a long time and it became a road block in our progression. Eventually things started falling into place and we finally mastered the ever-elusive counter canter and trot leg yield, which were a pipe dream for the longest time!

No matter what breed your horse is, what their breeding is, or what your background is, you CAN beat the odds. You CAN succeed. You just gotta believe in yourself and your horse and do the work that's involved and you CAN have a winner. Even on your bad days, know that it WILL get better. I have had too many bad days to count, and even when I was crying my eyes out and considering selling my horse of a lifetime, there was still this little voice in the back of my head that told me to try again the next day. And things got better.

So if you're stuck in a rut, please don't give up hope. It's not the end of the world. Use that experience to make yourself a better person or horseman. Winners are just losers that kept on trying!

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Comment by Cayla Cockerill on May 20, 2012 at 9:21pm: gave my tears in my eyes such a beautiful video !!

Comment by Caitlin on October 8, 2011 at 3:44pm: Hey,

I just wanted to say that I have one of "those" horses too. I've had him for 8 years. He's a massively long quarter horse that HATES flat work but loves to jump. Everyone told me he wouldn't amount to much. That he's super quiet, so I should just sell him as a lesson horse for little girls.

He blows me away all the time. No matter what I ask, he tries. Our only "road blocks" are in MY mind. He thinks he can do anything. I'll have him forever, and the amount of money I spend on him to spoil him is ridiculous. lol. But I just wanted to say thanks for this video, it really spoke to me and made me want to work even harder with my boy.

Best wishes!

Comment by Lisa Girimonte-Bellino on September 29, 2011 at 12:19am: That was very encouraging!; Thanks!

Comment by Michelle Synnot on August 26, 2011 at 4:03pm: usually I hate these sappy teenage youtube horse videos, but this one is really impressive.

Comment by Debra McDaid on August 25, 2011 at 7:41pm: Hi

I had a horse such as you are talking about, he was 15.1, started out starved, ruined his hocks and stifles, (my inexperience), a 1/4 horse with a race mother, and a roping/reining sire. At 500 dollars he was bargin basement. He was also a rig, sold to me as a gelding, he was the toughest most dangerous horse I have ever head (until Che), he was like a bull.... but he loved me and I loved him, short going, lame at times, rough, and with a will of iron, we fought back.. we were a team... when we entered the ring he had something that no other horse did... presense... he stood out, he was powerful, and he in his heart knew he was a 'king' amongst horses... the other horses knew it too... coupled with hours, and hours of dedication, and practice, and me being just a stuborn as Badger was... and we were a matched set. We ended up juinior then senior champs at the Arab show circut in my area (english), also at the local jumper show circut, then we went on to beat $60 000 (in the 80's) warmblood imports at dressage, then we went on to be successful at eventing... then I got maried, and eventually had to sell Badger in order to feed my family and race horses took over. Never, never give up if you love your horse, I didn't and I forever will remember my 'useless' horse. This video has put me back so many years... take heart from this video and good luck to one and all.

Comment by Shimmer E on August 24, 2011 at 9:06pm: Well said, well done and congrats!!

Comment by Johanna Oberhauser on August 23, 2011 at 10:40pm: What an awesome video. I have had my share of this as well; getting a horse in that is never going to be really successful or fancy enough, yet somehow the horse has a big enough heart to do everything he needs to do and much more! I applaud you for your perseverance and your wonderful attitude! Both you and your horse are VERY inspiring! Keep up the GREAT work!

Comment by Dana Derenoski on August 23, 2011 at 10:30am: Beautiful.

Comment by Wendy on August 22, 2011 at 8:13pm: Lovely article.

Comment by Jackie Cochran on August 22, 2011 at 11:34am: I love this video!

You will learn more from a horse that everyone else says isn't good enough, isn't conformed well enough, and isn't of the fashionable breed than you will from the most expensive, best trained, best conformed horse.

I've been there with the looked down upon horse, the horse who taught me how to ride, train, and teach.