When I got married, I didn’t just make a commitment to the woman I love. I also made a commitment to what she loves — horses. A Chicago native, I didn’t have a clue about raising her three animals at first. Just under three years later, I’m still not an expert on these galloping giants, but I have come to a few important realizations from being around them. Here are three lessons I’ve learned from the stable.
1. Pedigree doesn’t determine success.
You might be able to pick up a rescue horse for little-to-no money, but a highly-pedigreed horse from a championship bloodline could set you back hundreds of thousands of dollars — if not more. Outside of thoroughbred racing, a horse’s bloodline and genetics are often highly overrated. A horse with a good pedigree is like a person with a high IQ — it’s a desirable trait, but it plays only a part of how much one will succeed. Some of the most highly-accomplished people I know likely wouldn’t be admitted to Mensa.
The horses who most often win shows are the ones whose trainers have put in the most work and used the…