introduction & a quick look inside the life of a professional

to start off with, i just wanted to say how excited i am to be apart of the preppy equestrian team! i thought i would go ahead and give a quick introduction on myself. my name is stephanie prince and i’m a professional hunter/jumper trainer based in southern illinois. i currently have 7 horses, 4 of which are personal horses and the rest are sale horses. most of my horses i get off the track and then retrain them for the hunter/jumper world.

only being 23 and having just turned professional a few months ago i’m still learning how to run a successful operation and balance that with a successful riding career, but what a fun learning experience it is. i’m so grateful that i get to do what i love for a living, especially something that is so rewarding. there is nothing better than seeing young horses take the next step forward in their progress, whether it be learning their flying changes or moving up to the next level in the show ring, etc. it is equally rewarding watching your students learn and grow and be successful in and out of the ring.

all that success does not come without hard work though. gone are the days where you only have yourself to worry about. i spend a minimum of 10 hours at the barn daily schooling horses, teaching students, doing barn chores and whatever else that might need done. i put in so much time planning and managing my horses careers, my career, and my students careers as well. most nights i spend reading books or doing research online on training horses or looking for new project horses. it’s quite frankly exhausting at times but so totally worth it.

there is still so much for me to learn in managing a profitable horse business but i have come so far already and am looking forward to what’s in store. everyday i learn something new and that is one of my most favorite parts of this sport. the most recent lesson i’ve learned is to not undervalue my work. whether it be what you charge for riding lessons or your asking price on a horse, don’t cheat yourself. you work really hard doing this so make sure you’re getting what you deserve! it took me a while to learn that but it’s such an important lesson to learn in order to have a successful (and profitable) horse operation.

i look forward to sharing my journey with you all and again i’m so happy to be apart of the preppy equestrian team! it should be a lot of fun!