Meet Josey Butler. She grew up on a rural Missouri cattle farm and now lives and works in Texas, training horses and competing in rodeos. Josey is a fireball if I’ve ever met one. So much skill and determination flow from her as she steps into the arena. She’s confident and bold. Her horses knows who’s boss. She’s authoritative and filled with compassion and understanding at the same time. The relationship with a horse and his master is so complex and unlike anything else. When I asked Josey to explain that connection to me, I was blown away by her response.
“Being the weird horse girl growing up has taken me places nationally a lot of people will never see. It’s extremely hard work, people think you just ride horses all day, and there is so much more too it than that. You have to be a part time vet and part time therapist to a 1200 lb animal who can’t just tell you what’s wrong. You have to be a carpenter, plumber, electrician, and mechanic because things don’t always malfunction during business hours, and running a horse training facility relies on all those things daily. You’re also an accountant and secretary because the government still wants taxes, and there is an amazing amount of paperwork involved in both billing and accounts payable when your entering events and such. On the other hand when you’re recieving checks, or an award for a job well done for a client, or even just sitting on a great horse at the end of the day, watching the sunset– it’s unbelievably satisfying. Most people who train in the horse industry never end up on the cover of Forbes but I don’t think I would be near as happy working 9-5 in a suit.”
A life and career driven by passion and a solid work ethic is worth the sweat. Find what drives you and make it happen. Be grateful for the little things you do day-to-day that remind you why you’ve chosen the path you’re on. Find joy in the sunsets.
see Josey’s work gear here: Carhartt Women’s Norfolk Henley, Marlinton Vest, & Carhartt Women’s Jasper Jeans
Crafted in Carhartt 