Summary+Response+Paper

//When this p//roject was first presented to me, quite honestly I had no idea what to do. I am sixteen years old and I only have a vague idea as to what I want to do for a job. I want to be lawyer, a personal stylist, a reporter. One week you I will say one thing, and the next it will be completely different. I gave myself a headache going over the pros and cons of each career, until I realized that I should do my project on something I love. There has never been a doubt in my mind about becoming an Equine Professional. Horses have been such a big part of my life, that there is absolutely no way that I couldn’t pursue this career. So I wanted to see how three different women took on this career, each teaching a different level of rider and horse. This is where I got the chance to interview three wonderful people. The first was Kris McConnell, she has been riding for many years, has trained many horses, and taught many students. She is a full time trainer at Coventry Farms, and mostly deals with the advanced to competitive show clients. Also, I have had the amazing opportunity to train with her for the past ten years. The second person that I interviewed was Beth Yuhasz. Like Kris she has been riding for quite a while and has taken on the job as the beginner to intermediate trainer at Coventry Farms. The final person that I contacted was Alexia Nestora; she has had some amazing opportunities throughout her riding career. Not only has she trained many horses and riders, but she was able to become a working student in Europe. (Many riders dream for an opportunity like this!)To top it all off she has taken on the role as the intermediate to advanced trainer at Coventry Farms. The interview questions were mostly about the ups and downs of training horses and riders. The answers I received were all over the board; however, I got a clear idea as to what makes this career into what it actually is. Some of my favorite questions to ask were: What is the most memorable moment of your career? Has your career allowed you to go to any cool places? Where? These were fun because I got some really interesting answers; they ranged from watching a young horse grow up, to traveling all over Europe and winning a Grand Prix! (See interview section for description) One thing that I would like to point out is about the education question. I had a hard time trying to fit this into my interview questions because this is a sport. But I know for a fact that having good writing and speaking skills comes in handy when you are trying to advertise your business/horses. In this competitive industry it is vital that you give off the impression that what you have to offer, whether it be a horse, training, or a facility, it is the best. All in all, I think that my project turned out pretty well and this is definitely a career that I wish to pursue. Even though the interviewing process was a little bit tricky, I received a bundle of information that has helped me get a clear and concise answer as to the pros and cons of this career. After this was all said and done I can definitely say that this is a career that best fits who I am. I tried to find a way to incorporate reasons why I would love this job into my interview questions, and just as I predicted they completely prove my point. This brings me to the first reason why an Equine Professional would be a good career choice. One of the questions I asked was “What was the most memorable part of your career?” Kris McConnell and Alexia Nestora both said things that I could only dream about, but what Beth Yuhasz said really touched my heart. Her response to this question was, ““I have really enjoyed watching my horse Ares grow up. I have had him since he was young; and I have enjoyed training him.”(Beth Yuhasz) I couldn’t agree more with this statement because like Beth, I have had the pleasure of watching one of my own horses grow up and be trained. I also cannot wait until the day when I get to watch dozens of the horses that I have raised and trained become horses that fill other peoples lives’ with joy. Watching a horse grow up is a very fulfilling experience, and watching them excel always brings a smile to my face, as it does too many Equine Professionals. The second reason as to why I would like to pursue this career is partly due to what Alexia said to my third question. I asked if she liked to train horses or teach students better. Her response was, “It’s a fifty-fifty tossup. I like watching the kids and horses bond. But I also like watching the horses become champions.”(Alexia Nestora) I really liked this response because sometimes people forget that you are in this for the love of it not for the prizes. Don’t get me wrong, the prizes are a huge bonus and you feel on top of the world when you win something big. But it is much has to be much cooler to see students and their horses become a team. I also can’t imagine how it must feel to see a horse that you trained go off to do something big and great. Like go to the Olympics. In Europe Alexia had the opportunity to help train and some horses for an Olympic rider! I think that it would be amazing to have a chance to say that, “I trained the horse that won a gold medal!” The final and probably the most difficult question to ask them was, “What is the hardest part about your job?” Out of all of them, I think that Kris gave the best answer. She said, “Most of my students are very athletic and have some riding talent, it’s the ones who it’s hard for that are very hard for me. But, I always make each of my students the best that they can be.” I agree with this statement because it is some people aren’t made to ride, just like I’m not meant to ice skate. But it would be difficult to have to watch students that have put an immense amount of time and effort into this when they don’t get the ride that they want every time. Also like Kris said, it is important to make them into the best riders they can be, so when they have an awesome lesson or ride. That in itself would make me feel like I have done my job right. Not only has this project given me insight as to why I want to pursue a career as an Equine Professional, but it has given me some important insight on life as well. I learned that in the end, every bit of hard work will be payed off. There is nothing that you can’t do when you put your mind to it, no matter how big or small it is. I think this is a neat concept because it can be applied to all aspects of life, whether it be school, work, or even watching a grin move across a kids face as he or she sails over a jump on top of a horse. I started out with absolutely no idea where I wanted my life to go, but after talking to three very strong and nice people I feel like I have a pretty good idea as to where I want it to go. Works Cited McConnell, Kris. Personal. 19 January 2009. Nestora, Alexia. Telephone. 25 January 2009. Yuhasz, Beth. Personal. 29 January 2009.