“The man that tells you he knows everything about horses, is the man that knows nothing about horses.” These words, spoken by the first horse trainer I worked with, speak not only to the horse industry, but also my 1st-12th grade education. There are as many different ways to train horses as there are to obtain an education.

I attended the community preschool, where my mother volunteered, until I started first grade. Mother, who has a Bachelor of Arts in Education, felt home-schooling, would be best for my sister and me. My parents wanted to chose our curriculum; they researched several options and settled on Abeka’s curriculum. Home-schooling allowed my parents hands-on involvement in my educational process and created the opportunity to use a rigorous curriculum.

Mother’s chief concern has been that we learn and understand how to apply the material she taught us. This concern led her to continually look for new ways for us to learn and apply our knowledge. When I was struggling with my school work, she would find a new way to approach the subject that would help me look at the material in a different way. She also wanted our schedule to have flexibility; are school year is usually longer than public school’s, we take breaks, go on field trips designed to enhance what we are learning, or break new material into smaller lessons.

As a home-schooler, I have not sat at a desk while learning. We were able to use different settings: I remember lessons being completed outside, science projects being completed on family vacations, and books read aloud with my mom while conducting garage sales. I was involved in a home-school group; membership meant participating in the monthly field trips they organized. My favorite trip was the one that taught us about Michigan’s soil conservation and Michigan’s native animals. The Home-school Olympics were always a highly anticipated activity.

Home-schooling has given me time to pursue my own interests, particularly horses. I have always had a passion to work with horses. I began by doing barn chores in exchange for riding lessons at a ranch that bred quarter horses. The trainer at the ranch was my role model. Every time I saw him with a horse, it was as if he had a magical connection with the animal. Watching him work with the horses, fed my desire to work with horses and gain that connection with them.

I have been told that home-schooled students are shy, stuck up, and generally unsociable. Interestingly, I have also been told that I do not appear to have these traits. I believe my home-schooling has given me the confidence to communicate well with adults, peers, and younger children. The one-on-one attention has helped me learn to think for myself. I am a more responsible student because I had to make myself do the required work without constant reminders. I am a critical thinker and have balanced my school work with my extracurricular activities. If my parents had not decided home-school was the best environment for my education, I would not be the well-rounded young adult I am today. With home-schooling I have been raised to believe that if I work hard, with dedication, I can reach any goal; I know I can achieve my dream of being a horse trainer. I will make my dream a reality.