I dont ride horses but heres what I think.

If I were over weight, and thought I could still be the riding champion of the world, I would buy a horse, pay the people who own the track to let me ride in a race, and if I won I would get recognition right... If I lost I guess I would tell myself that I am really not as good as the skinny little jockeys right...

Maybe I would fool myself and blame a bad horseshoe, or maybe the horse that I rode was just too old, maybe I would blame the wind, or the climate, and say things like... My horse was trained in Kentucky but here in Florida its too hot for him.

But would say...Gee I am fatter than everyone else, and thats why I was slower than everyone else.

Imagine if I was offered a job pulling carriages through Central Park and turned it down because its not what I do.

I dont want this to sound down at all.

I always have a positive side to everything if you read to the bottom of the message...Read on...

If your petite, or in some way less than desireable in the field of modeling (for whatever reason) make an investment with your own time and money. Call a great photographer and a great makeup artist, and a stylist you work well with.. Get in front of the camera and shoot.

PAY the people you are working with so they have a motivation to help you succeed.

Call a few designers and borrow some great looking clothes.... Get clothes that are right for you.

Go to the Givenchy desk at Saks 5th Avenue and buy a hundred bucks worth of foundation, mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick.

Lets just say for a moment youre a petite model.

Think about what you can shoot. You cant shoot full length and expect that a designer will see your shots and book you for a runway show (there are exceptions). think... What can petites do????

You can shoot hair for Redken , and you can shoot cosmetics for Lancome / L'Oreal / Maybelline, you can shoot feet for Nine West and you can shoot teeth for Cosmetic Dentistry.

Have you ever offered to shoot for a dentist for free just so you can get a tearsheet? Have you ever stopped into a shoe store and asked if you could do an advertisement for them just because you are a model starting out?

Now dont get your hopes up too high yet... Remember that if you are a horse and you offer to run a milk cart around town...Even if your the fastest horse in town you may not be asked to go to the Kentucky Derby. you may wind up doing milk deliveries until you are an old grey mare.

But lets just say you were interested in becoming a model.

To me becoming a model means you want "to do some modeling" right - not just snap your fingers right- not just get discovered right... Have you ever said things like I am willing to work hard to attain my goals. I say these this to myself all the time. I do work hard, and I attain most of my goals.

So now you spend ten minutes with a word processor program on your computer... Type up a paper with large bold letters that say: PETITE MODEL AVAILABLE - BEGINNER - WILL WORK FOR PRINTS - GREAT HANDS- FEET - HAIR- LEGS- FACE- AVAILABLE DAYS, EVENINGS, WEEKENDS PLEASE CALL ME AT...

Now take your poster and hang it on every floor and slide it under every door at The Parsons School Of Design, The Fashion Institute of Technology, NYU, Columbia.

Give a copy to every shoe store on Madison Avenue (theres a lot), Give a copy to every hair salon in Greenwhich Village, and mail a few copies to modeling agencies. Include a 4X6 photo of yourself with the letter. Just tape it on with Scotch tape... Mail one to me.

Now if you cant get an offerr to model for a new designer, or a shoe store or a hair salon or a cosmetics boutique or a leather jacket store... You should consider becoming a jockey.

Oh and last but not least... If a guy offers you a job pulling milk carts dont turn it down, he may own the Kentucky Derby..