Father's Day: The Most Important Financial Lesson My Dad Taught Me

Growing up on a farm, I learned a lot of lessons about life and finances that many other kids may have missed out on. One of the financial lessons that I learned is that our horses are not only our friends; they are an investment, and can bring us through tough times if necessary.

We got our first horse when I was 8. He was a registered Quarter Horse. My Dad slowly built up a nice stable of fine Quarter Horses. The horses were great companions and gave us a lot of pleasure. I learned a lot about life from caring for those horses and riding every day. Then, our family fell on hard times when I was 12. My Dad's investment kept the family afloat; we sold the horses off one by one to keep food on the table.

We kept one horse, and struggled along for 2 or 3 years before my Dad could afford any more horses. He then began investing further in horses. He rescues abused and neglected horses, nurses them back to health with food and love, and then sells them to good, loving homes. They are quite an investment; they need special food and medicines to get them back to a healthy place, but my Dad gets more than just monetary gain out of it. He has made it a lifestyle - he lives for his horses.

I recently fell on a rough time myself, when I got off active-duty and decided to make a full-time career of writing. I had to make the heartbreaking decision to sell my horse. I sold her to keep my family afloat, like my Dad did with his horses 20 years ago. It was sad to see her go, but my first priority is my children. I was recently lucky enough to be able to rescue a starved horse, and she has come a long way since I got her. Good food and love have made her into a happy, healthy, beautiful girl, and she now carries me around the barrels with ease at races.

Thanks to my Dad, I have learned to invest in things that aren't the norm. Horses are just one example, but this is the aspect I have the most experience with. I will always be grateful to my Dad for all of the life's lessons that he has taught me, but he is my financial guru.

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