I thought today's post would be a fun topic to talk about. What was your life like before horses and working with them? I am honored to talk with many women from all over the country and hear their stories of what they do in the equine industry now or what they want to do in the future with horses. We love these incredible animals and for many of us we quickly search for a way to be around horses as much as we can. The paths we take might all be different but they all lead to the horse.
The jobs in the equine industry are vast so I thought it would be fun to hear from you and what you did before you turned in your high heels for a pair of work boots and jeans. I would love to also hear what you do with horses now. Do you board horses for a business or are you a horse trainer? Do you do equine massage or are you a farrier? You could be a jockey, show horses professionally, be a professional groom or work for someone who owns a horse business. Do you breed horses or rescue horses? Are you an equine veterinarian? The jobs are endless but we would love to hear what you did before the big change! The truth is most equine professionals had many other jobs and careers before they jumped into the horse world full-time. And the truth is all of us start out as beginners in our journey to make our dreams come true.
The truth is most equine professionals had many other jobs and careers before they jumped into the horse world full-time. And the truth is all of us start out as beginners in our journey to make our dreams come true.
What I did before
I thought I would tell you a little about myself first to get the ball rolling. I was born in Los Angeles, California in the San Fernando Valley. I moved to Wisconsin twenty-eight years ago and it was a change to say the least. I have worked for a few stables in my life sprinkled in between non-horsey jobs. I have worked many jobs including driving a school bus, washing hair in a salon, worked in two restaurants in my earlier years. I also worked for USPS for about two years picking up express mail from all the small towns in the area. That was a long time ago. My last non-horsey job was with a school district in my area. I worked with handicap children for about sixteen years until I finally resigned and have worked full-time at our farm since.
It can be a huge change mentally to go from your professional life outside horses to a professional life with horses. Two completely different worlds with different work attire and atmosphere. It can be a hard change to fully grasp when you realize it is not as glamorous as you thought it would be. Your work clothes now often consist of dirty jeans and muddy work boots and you at times will try to remember the last time you put make-up on. Getting the dirt out from under your once clean and manicured nails is something that could drive you crazy at first and you will laugh at times when you realize you were talking to someone and you had hay in your hair. It happens!!
Yes you are going to change
You are going to change in so many ways but if you hang in there you will start to embrace those changes and feel comfortable in your new job. If you are as horse crazy as me then you will start to get used to the new wardrobe you wear every day which consist of jeans, t-shirts and boots and feel at home with them on. It is quite the life and you are living the life that so many people would dream to have. Yes there are going to be tough days but that is no different than any other job. I hope as you start to read what others have done before, you will start to realize you are not alone and adjusting to it all is something each person has had to do. Hang in there because it gets so much better!
If you are new to my blog, then welcome! I wrote my book One Horsewoman to Another to let other women in the horse industry know they are not alone. This book will encourage and inspire you in so many ways and you will start to grow as you think about and answer some of the questions at the end of each chapter. It was diffidently one of my favorite books to write.
Wishing you many blessings in your horse business,
Sheri Grunska