From Equine-Addicted Teen to Professional Horse Trainer to Banker/Blogger.

I’m a Millennial. What Can I Say.

The path I’ve taken to where I am now, like that of many others (and many people in my generation in particular), has not been linear and simple. At a young age, I discovered a love and passion for horses and riding and competing in the Hunter/Jumper circuit. I started taking jumping lessons at the age of 10 and continued my amateur riding career through high school. At this point, I decided that “when I grew up” (who decided to make that a thing, anyway?) I wanted to be a professional horse trainer (against the advice of my current trainer and mentor). Since my parents were paying for it and since it sounded like a cool thing to do, I attended college at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. While pursuing my degree in Animal Science, I held several horse-related jobs, including working as a Vet Tech at the large animal hospital, grooming and riding for a local trainer, and doing several freelance riding gigs for breeders and private owners, all while continuing to ride and occasionally compete on my own horse, Bugatti.

Although I felt “on-track” for my professional riding career, I at times had doubts about the career path of a professional rider/trainer. I had taken some classes in Biotechnology and Embryology, which both became areas of strong interest. I got a job at the only Biotech company that was hiring in the area and commuted 30 minutes each way to work there part time while continuing to take a full load of classes. Before graduating, I had applied to several positions in Biotech and Embryology, and even thought that I had a job as a Junior Embryologist in Santa Monica lined up until it fell through just before graduation.

Taking this as a sign that I should pursue my horse-training career (and needing some sort of income since my parents were no longer paying my room and board), I started working for a top-notch Hunter/Jumper trainer in Southern California. There, I got to teach people of all ages about riding and competing, work on my own techniques, and compete locally and in different parts of the U.S.

It was an amazing job. I got to ride and compete on horses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, I got to build relationships with some of the most wonderful people I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, I got to travel and get paid to compete at international-level shows. But there were downsides, too. I didn’t have what so many of us Millennials strive for (and often get wrong): Work-Life Balance. I loved my job, but I was stressed out. I was working 50+ hours a week when we were at home and significantly more than that when we were on the road competing. I didn’t see my family nearly enough, and I didn’t have many friends outside of the horse world.

In 2013, I decided to quit my job, leave Southern California, and go back home to Santa Cruz. I moved back in with my parents to keep my expenses low (plus, my parents are AWESOME), and started looking for a job that would allow me a better balance and lower stress. I wasn’t quite ready to leave the horse industry, and I was determined to find a way to continue following my passion for horses while still maintaining a social life, and making enough money to pay bills and save for my future.

I bounced around a bit - I worked as a part-time assistant to a wonderful trainer in Santa Cruz with some of the most down-to-earth clients ever. I was later offered (and accepted) a position as barn manager at an incredibly beautiful training and retirement facility in Morgan Hill. I loved my job there but missed the thrill of competition and the satisfaction of seeing a horse and rider grow and learn under my coaching. So when a previous client approached me and asked if I would consider being their trainer, I decided to start my own training business where I could make my own schedule, choose my own clients, and still attempt to maintain balance in my life.

The clients I had were wonderful, the horses were saints. We attended a small number of fun shows, and I loved teaching and working with my wonderful little group. But I wasn’t making enough money to afford living in the excessively-expensive Santa Cruz County.

I started helping another trainer in the Silicon Valley part-time, which even included getting to work with my amazing trainer and mentor from high school again. I got paid to ride high quality horses, and got to help out at shows and even compete on some of these nice horses. But even still, I was barely making ends meet, and was spending way too much time in my car, driving to different locations, and still wondering if I’d be able to pay my bills every month. I knew something had to change, but wasn’t ready to leave the horse industry yet. I had spent the majority of my adult life pursuing a career in horses, and plus, what else could I do? While everyone else (or what seemed like everyone else) had been pursuing a career since graduating from college, I would have to start fresh and take an entry level job. Not an easy thing to contemplate doing.

Finally, God had to let some gnarly things happen to get it through my thick skull that it was time for a change of jobs. It took my beloved dog getting hit by a truck (another story which I may or may not go into later) for me to realize that I needed out of the industry. (Side note: she survived, albeit with serious injuries that she has since healed from). For a variety of reasons, I took this as the final nudge to make my departure from the professional side of the horse industry, a move I had been contemplating for some time but had been too afraid to do.

Since then I have bounced around a bit but have met some incredible people along the way. I worked for a short time as a technical recruiter in downtown San Jose. I enjoyed being a part of the exciting motions in the tech world but realized cold calling and sales in general are not my forte. I worked at the most amazing bank in Santa Cruz and loved learning new skills, meeting new people, and finding myself challenged in new ways by the most supportive and uplifting staff ever, and would probably still be there today if it weren’t for a change in geography.

In June of 2018 my then fiance and I moved to Arnold, California (check out this post to hear more about that), and life changed drastically but in fantastic ways. Since then Jeff and I got married, I started a new job at the only bank in town, brought up my horse of a lifetime Bugatti, bought a second horse so Jeff and I could ride together, and have been enjoying off-roading, mountain biking, snowboarding, and general adventuring in this little mountain town.

Most recently I have started pursuing my passions for photography and writing, two things I have always enjoyed and now am getting to appreciate at a new level. At 30 years old, I still don’t know what I’ll be doing when I “grow up”, and you know what? I’m okay with it. I’m loving the journey, and am excited to see where life will take me next.