~Ninja~

I've always enjoyed drawing, it's been mostly an escape from the real world for me. Drawing helps me forget about my problem, and overall I just love doing it. Some people have told me I was good at drawing, and while I may not admit it, it means a whole lot to me. However when I show my father my art, he usually just says "Oh that's pretty good" or just completely ignores the question. Leading me to doubt my artistic skills. I /WANT/ to be good at drawing, I just want be good at one thing in life.

Anyways, that's besides the point. The other day I was in art class (at school) with my friend Jane. Me and her have always been good friends, and we both love drawing. Jane tends to be more outgoing then me, and she's always showing her art off. Getting a lot of praises and such. I'm usually shy and hide my art, but sometimes I wish I got praises as well. Anyways our art teacher comes over to the desk me and Jane are sitting at. He looks at Jane and says "You are the one of the best artists in class, when I asked other student who they thought was good at drawing, they all mentioned your name." Now since Jane was sitting across from me I heard this, and to tell you the truth it crushed me.

Jane has always been more pretty then me, more athletic, skinner, and I guess a better artist as well. All I really want is just to have a talent and while I've tried many things, drawing is the one that I thought I was maybe, actually good at. It just hurts to think that my drawings are a waste of time, and that I'm no good.

So my question is, does anyone have anything to say that might cheer me up? I could really use it.

Or give me some advice on how to get better on drawing and/or whether I should quit.

Thanks :)

Hey guys,

So lately I've been considering buying a horse, my trainer said it would be a good investment. Considering I could ride more times a week and become a better rider. Its been a year, and I've tried 2 or 3 horses (she says she wants to find them). I'm perfectly OK with that. The last horse I tried, my trainer fell in love with. She said I HAD to buy it. But the truth is I didn't truly like the horse. Its conformation wasn't great, and it it took a crop, and quite a lot of leg to get it to canter/jump. Over a couple weeks she pressured me. She prodded people at the barn to ask me on weather or not I was going to buy the horse, and why I wouldn't. These people also told me how AMAZING the horse was which made me suspicious. She told my father, I wouldn't buy the horse because I "Considered too highly of myself, and thought I was a better rider then I actually was." Which in my opinion was quite rude. She sent me multiple texts on how the horse was just perfect, and she would be disappointed if I didn't buy him. I tried him for a couple weeks, and at the end she was getting mad at me for not buying him. She began to make me do things I had never attempted to do before. For instance, gallop at full speed. When I did it, I told her I wasn't feeling comfortable doing such high level things. She said, "Well how do you like the horse now, he certainly seems better then you doesn't he?" After this incident I kindly asked her to return the horse (as we had it on try out session from his owners). She refused to return him and said she would keep him for a couple more months so I could try him out a bit more. I started riding the lesson horse I usually ride, but the quality of my session began to deteriorate. My trainer payed more attention to other riders, and almost seemed MAD at me. I began to do things a beginner would do instead of my regular stuff. I was astounded and decided to take a day or two off to think about this. So now I pose to you a question. Should I stay with my trainer? She was quite nice when I first came to ride at the barn, maybe we will get that same bond again. Should I switch barns? There are not many local barns where I live so that may be a problem. Why would she be so upset at me not buying the horse? (She did earn 10% of what the horses original price was-20,000)

PS: She started saying that, a lazy horse was good for me, since I was a bad rider, and barley knew anything. I do not think I am a good rider, but then again I have been riding enough to have experience. Even if I didn't, I do not expect to have heard such a rude comment. I miss the days when me and my trainer were friends :(.

Hey guys!

Well first off I would like to say, no I'm not the most amazing rider ever, so I'm not gonna act like it. But lately I've noticed that some of the more "experienced" horse people are really rude with novice/intermediate horseback riders. I was recently reading a question and the asker said (and I quote) "Why are non-experienced horseback riders so stupid? They act like they know more then us." Also when one of these novice/intermediate riders ask a question, people answer by saying "You don't seem to know a lot about horses." I've been riding for about 2 and a half years, I can walk, post trot, do the sitting trot, canter, jump (both in canter and trot), and can tell apart my diagonals. Even considering this, people at my barn still act better then me, because I haven't been riding since I was 3.

So my question is, why are most horseback riders not as nice with people less experienced then them?

Again this isn't meant to offend anyone! This doesn't go for every rider!