My daughter showed an interest in equestrian riding, specifically, "jumping" when she was 5 or 6 years old. She is now 14 and still jumping!
I have supported her passion, but my wife has truly been the driver and fully engaged. She has literally and figuratively been, scooping the poop!
I have always been amazed with the beauty, strength and skill of horse and
rider. It doesn't matter if it is jumping, roping or racing. The teamwork necessary to be successful is truly amazing.
However, it doesn't start with the finished product that produces glory and admiration!
There is so much more, you need to have the desire to ride and you need to put in the work with a trainer. Moreover, you have to muck the stalls (scoop the poop) and feed the horses.
It is also very important to maintain your barn, fences, pastures and anything else that might break or grow.
It's amazing how much damage that majestic angel of a horse can cause in a day! If you have multiple horses, throw in a couple goats and a crazy dog, there is a lot to do.
One evening I was leading (begging) our new 5 year old 2000 lb. baby to her stall and I realized how big the animal is and that I should take care. I can't be scared, but use caution and try to be smarter than the horse. She is pretty smart!
The story is only beginning and there is so much more to the ongoing care, love and protection to see that majestic horse jump with my daughter. I could go on and on! They are showing signs of becoming a great team!
Caring for horses is so much like financial planning. You need to have the desire to succeed, find a good team (financial planner, estate planning attorney, tax advisor, insurance agent and various other professionals).
It is important to visualize where you want to be in the short term and long term. At that point, you and your financial planning team create a plan together. It is important to implement and maintain the plan. Your financial planner should be your coach (trainer) to guide you and help you reach your goals.
So....when you see that beautiful majestic horse jumping in the Olympics or that happily retired individual or couple, remember, before the majesty or happiness, there was a lot of "scooping the poop."
Remember, it's not what you earn, it's what you keep.