Taken out of Reference….
March 29, 2010
On occasion I receive calls from prospective schools or employers wishing to verify the integrity of a current or previous student that has me listed as a personal reference. These calls are usually unremarkable, a few sentences verifying how long I’ve known the applicant and a couple of obligatory questions regarding their work ethic. Earlier this week I received one of these reference check calls regarding a student I have known for ten years, Lindsay Hildebrandt. The business owner calling me was Linda Miller from Elkhorn Ranch in Montana. Ms Miller’s warm sense of humor and sincere desire to hire the right person for her ranch made this call anything but unremarkable.
I have never been to Elkhorn Ranch but have many times thought I would like to take a summer off from teaching and spend it as a guide, or wrangler, taking people out on horseback treks through mountain passes, and enjoying horses without the pressures of daily commutes or the underlying intensity of competition training. Unfortunately, however, Ms. Miller didn’t call to ask me out to Montana to be a wrangler for the summer, but instead to find out if I thought Lindsay Hildebrandt might be right for the job. “You would be crazy not to hire her”, was my initial reaction, and I stand by it still.
Elkhorn Ranch, Montana
I assured Linda that Lindsay was nothing if not determined and hard-working. Anyone that has ever met Lindsay’s horse, Prophet, can testify to that. As charming and talented as Prophet is, I have never met a more challenging or difficult horse to train and Lindsay has persevered on him through the years, training him as a showjumper. I’m sure there won’t be any horses at Elkhorn like Prophet, but if Linda needs any help with training horses for the trails, she’s getting her money’s worth with Lindsay.
A talented artist, Lindsay has designed logos for me, given me drawings and paintings that I cherish and created a beautiful wire sculpture of my horse, Wango Tango. Before the advent of blogs I recruited Lindsay and her best friend Amber to write and illustrate my first newsletter, Hot2Trot. It was a lot of work for the kids but they did a great job! If Linda is as sneaky as I am, Elkhorn may have some new signs and artwork before the summer is up!
Wire Sculpture of Wango Tango
I could go on and on about traits that make Lindsay a great candidate for Elkhorn Ranch but I’d rather let Lindsay update us herself. She’s leaving in June and staying for the summer. I have a great feeling about Linda, she seems like a genuine person that cares about her guests, her horses and her staff. One day Nickel (Wango Tango) and I hope to make it out to Montana to meet her and her horses.
Lindsay, good luck at your job and have a great time. You have been promoted from Hot2Trot illustrator to blogospondent for Tango Dressage! Send us updates and photos from your trip and put in a good word for me, I’ll be a wrangler one day soon!
Meet Mr. Smeets….
March 22, 2010
Ron helps Lauren with the connection
Ok, ok…It’s hard to think of a catchy title that rhymes with Smeets! That’s what I have to work with however, as it was the second day of another great clinic with international rider and trainer Ron Smeets from The Netherlands. Anyone that has visited my website, Tango Dressage, knows I am a big fan of Mr. Smeets. He travels to the U.S. on a regular basis in order to maintain a consistent training program. I try to ride with Ron every opportunity I get, however, unable to ride this weekend I observed from the sidelines as several of my students took advantage of his expertise.
This is the forty-fifth post I have published on this blog and several times leading up to the weekend of the clinic I felt it would boost rider entries to post an article about Ron and previous clinics, however, these attempts remain unpublished as I have come to realize that if the intentions of my posts are anything other than my sincere feelings or opinions at the time of writing than they are nothing but advertisements and advertisements are always biased to favor the advertised.
Sincerity is the trait that I admire most in Ron’s professional dealings. When you ride with Ron it is evident that he cares if you understand what he is trying to convey in the lesson. This is not just true of upper-level or potential horse purchasing clients. Ron routinely spends as much time and energy as is necessary to make sure even more novice riders understand and benefit from their ride, even if his lunch break or rest breaks are depleted by doing so.
The same sincerity that conveys concern for the rider’s education also puts the rider in the hot seat at times. Don’t expect phony compliments or platitudes from Smeets. His concern is with the education of the rider and the welfare of the horse and if a mistake is made and repeated, expect to hear about it until it is corrected! He is never unkind or condescending but instead determines what a rider is capable of and pushes them to meet that mark. It is a quality in a clinician that I greatly admire as so many clinicians I see under-challenge or placate riders, as they wish to maintain a loyal following, but platitudes do not make a Grand Prix rider.
This is the last day of Ron’s clinic and I look forward to riding with him when he returns in June. His dressage knowledge and teaching style make him an excellent trainer. His sincerity and candor make him an exceptional person.
Click here to visit Ron’s website R.S.D.H. in the Netherlands. He has exceptional dressage horses for sale and is available for training at his new facility.
Keep the helmet, ditch the Tux…
March 17, 2010
“Dress is at all times a frivolous distinction, and excessive solicitude about it often destroys its own aim.” Jane Austen
Understandably there has been a lot of controversy lately over the possibility of mandatory helmet rules for dressage competition. Although personal safety should be an individual’s choice it is difficult to defend the decision of not protecting one’s own head.
The main concern for not mandating helmets seems to lie in the fact that helmets are not as visually appealing when worn with the customary dressage attire, particularly the shadbelly jacket. A top hat, which offers little to no protection at all, is far more appealing when wearing such an outfit. Recently, as a possible alternative to helmets, companies have been designing “hard-hat” type top hats as they have for cowboy hats for western rider’s safety. These hats, while safer to ride in, are bulky and clumsy, thus negating the point of having a visually appealing hat.
Although this suggestion may upset some classicists I believe it may be time to consider embracing the helmet and updating the attire. Yes, that means quit competing in tuxedos. Tuxedos are certainly classy outfits for weddings or the opera but not necessarily clothes that inspire athleticism. Many other athletic events require helmets and maintain a dignified but athletic turnout. In addition to being visually compatible with safety gear, more athletic attire can be manufactured with fabrics that are more conducive to sports functionality. Wearing a blazer and an Ascot with leather boots while participating in an athletic event in the deep South in September seems somehow non-sporty.
While I have a deep respect for tradition and believe that the principles of riding and training should be passed from generation to generation, the time may have come to consider updating the attire of the modern equestrian. Athletes in every sport benefit from advances in fabrics and modern technological design for comfort and performance, why not us? If we want the rest of the world to respect our sport as an Olympic discipline we may have to suit up looking like the athletes that we are.
The Longest Walk….
March 16, 2010
“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” Anatole France
Today I was both greatly honored and deeply saddened as I, along with other friends, supported our dear friend Nicole as she walked the longest walk any horse owner will ever know. After a year of tireless efforts to heal her beloved horse Ben’s injured tendon sheath, Nicole was advised by the veterinarian that the most humane path for Ben would be euthanization. This is undoubtedly the most difficult and unselfish act an animal lover is forced to make.
This is a difficult post to write because as much as I want to convey the tragic loss of a promising horse, I want to celebrate the life of one of the finest characters in a horse I have ever known. As much as I want to console my friend, as she lost her companion after a year of daily hand walking and bandaging a stallbound three-year old; I want to show my amazement at how she always did these tasks without complaining, in fact turned them into workout opportunities. As much as I know that he was bound to be a champion in the competition arena, I know that for the time he was here he had as many admirers and as much love as any Olympian alive.
My humble words cannot describe the admiration I had for this gentle, loving horse. I hope he understood this before he left us. I know he knew how much Nicole loved him, we could all see that. Today was a difficult day, the walk was long and sad but I was honored to know this noble horse. Sleep well tonight Ben and wake to green pastures. We will always love and remember you.
Don’t flip-flop about it…..
March 15, 2010
Four ibuprofen down the hatch as my right foot throbs! Another job related injury! The names of the parties involved have been changed to protect the victims, wait a minute, I am the victim!
I teach a lovely lady we’ll call “Bonnie” that owns a small riding facility at her home several miles from the barn in which I board my horses. With a show a couple of weeks away it’s time to trailer the horses over to ride some tests while also getting them used to traveling off of the property. Horses arrive, check out the place, walk into washracks, everything is fine. Here’s where things take a turn.
The horse Bonnie is going to ride tacks up without incident. My process does not go quite as smoothly. My ride, we’ll call “Bernie” has a girthing issue, that I should have remembered, as I have tacked him up at his own house many times. This is where I erred, as Bernie is one of several horses I have known over the years that if girthed too quickly will buckle at the knees. This is exactly what happened. I didn’t ratchet it up, however, there are certain horses that must be girthed very slowly to prevent such a reaction and care must be given every time.
I confidently put on the saddle, buckled the girth and walked out of the washrack to grab the bridle. When I turned around with bridle in hand Bernie’s legs buckled and he collapsed on to the mats of the washrack. The fall frightened him, causing him to flip and thrash around in the crossties. Luckily the crossties have quick release connections and one of them gave way. After a couple of seconds that felt like hours, Bernie settled down and laid (lay, laid) down in the washrack, confused. He was still enough that I approached his head and unclipped the crossties on each side of his halter and backed up so he could get back up on his feet.
I got two steps back when he launched himself up off the ground with his hoof pointed like a ballerina’s toe slamming straight down on top of my foot! Wham!!! My entire body got hot with adrenaline, followed by a cold, clammy sweat! Yes, Yes, Bernie was fine! However, my foot felt shattered. I was lucky to be wearing my riding boots at the time. I know this incident is not uncommon. We have all had hundreds of foot smashing, toe stepping incidents but it brings up a conversation I have every summer with students concerning barn footwear.
Invariably , every summer I will have a conversation with at least two or three different students who will show up at the barn for the day with flip-flops or sandals on. I always say “you probably need to wear something more substantial, you might get your toes cut off”. The reply that follows usually sounds something like ”I’m not going to get my horse out of the stall, I’m not even going to lead a horse”.
This sounds fine, in theory. However, you never know what might happen that you may have to become involved in. If a horse gets loose and you have to help catch him, you are suddenly leading a horse. If a horse gets tangled in a wire and needs immediate help, or falls in a crosstie, or a hundred other emergency scenarios and you are needed to jump in and help out, it is not practical to be wearing footwear that will compromise your feet.
Even here in the hot and humid South, and even as cute as your sandals are, and even if you are wearing shorts, sturdy boots or shoes are your best choice if you are at the barn for any period of time. Dont fret, your Facebook pictures will look cuter with you with boots on than with you on crutches anyday!
On a more Serious Note…
March 13, 2010
I usually try to avoid news related topics, as news is more accurately reported on news sites, this forum is generally based on my opinion but it seems pertinent to address the recent tragic accident of America’s Olympian Courtney King-Dye. If anyone is still unaware of the accident she was riding a young horse in warm-up at a competition when the horse slipped and fell, fracturing Courtney’s skull. Courtney is still in a coma at the time of this writing. Horse Channel.com has an article with more details on the accident and an address to Courtney’s Facebook page as well as a mailing address for well wishers. I will include them at the bottom of this post as well.
This accident has stirred a lot of debate in the dressage community concerning mandatory use of helmets at competitions. I received a letter from my local GMO yesterday requesting feedback from members of the equestrian community, as horse show organizers are fearful that if they alone enforce such mandatory regulations they may suffer loss of entries to shows that do not enforce the safety measures. While I understand that entry money is what makes horse shows possible, hiring judges possible, etc. I am saddened that cash flow is the determining factor in most every decision that arises anymore. It seems that competition dressage should now be termed commercial dressage.
As those who know me can testify I rarely, if ever, wear a helmet. I am certainly not bragging about this, just stating the facts before someone else does in my comment section!! In fact, I was forced to purchase one to ride while schooling some riders on a cross-country course a few years ago and in mock protest picked one with a picture of Mickey Mouse riding a horse on it. After that day, I wore it very rarely. It is not that I consciously disagree with the use of helmets, I wore them when riding as a child and when I used to jump. I believe I am of the age that safety was not as stringently observed and regulated as it is now. Seatbelts were not mandatory and I’m not sure many people used them when I was young. Nobody wore helmets when riding a bike, or skating as they do now.
I was, however, bucked off a horse a few months ago that was startled by my swishy jacket (see my first blog post!). The next time I rode the horse, I removed my jacket! and asked the owner if I could use her helmet. She had a Charles Owen helmet and it fit me perfectly. The horse behaved wonderfully and luckily I didn’t have to test the helmet but I must admit I did feel safer and rode less apprehensively wearing the helmet. After the ride I examined the construction and realized they have come a long way from the Mickey Mouse helmet that was little more than thin plastic over egg cartons.
Ever since riding with that helmet I tossed around the idea of purchasing one of my own. Oddly enough I bought one the day before Courtney’s accident. It is still not a natural instinct for me to grab it and wear it every time I ride, but I did yesterday and I do see the value in it. I don’t yet know where I stand on mandatory helmet rules. This opens up more questions like wearing protective vests or break-away stirrups. I am coming around myself, however, to wearing the helmet, both for my own safety and as an example for the kids I teach. As for the adults, that is a decision they can make for themselves.
I sympathize greatly with Courtney and her family and wish her the speediest recovery. Please send her your well-wishes on Facebook or by mail. Every acknowledgement and intention of well-being goes a long way in helping the recovery process. She is a great rider and an inspiration to all dressage enthusiasts. It is an unfortunate reality that no matter how many safety regulations are enforced, there is always a risk of injury when riding a horse, no matter how accomplished the rider or how quiet the horse.
Check out Behind the Bit’s post today for some interesting information on head injuries.
We’re all rooting for your recovery Courtney, get back in the saddle soon.
Courtney Dye
2442 Muir Circle
Wellington, FL 33414
comebackcourt@gmail.com
Anyone wishing to donate to the Medical Assistance Fund can make checks payable to:
Courtney King-Dye
c/o Lendon Gray
25 Lake Ave.
Bedford, NY 10506
Horses are Welcome too!!
March 10, 2010
Me and Sam in England '75
Me and Sammy in Germany '79. Ponies make great teachers!
Saturday promises to be exciting as I am spending the day with some of my best friends, Ponies! The Atlanta Pony Club is meeting me at Foxberry Farms in Dallas, Georgia for a full day of dressage lessons.
This is not my first time teaching the ponyclubbers and I hope I will be invited again. Having started riding in England I had a short brush with the
British Pony Club and have a great deal of respect for the organization. Any rider that has earned the rating of “A” ponyclubber is not only qualified to be a professional rider but has proven to be an expert in horse and barn management as well. To check how you measure up click here for the United State’s Pony Club’s Standards of Proficiency for H-B, HH-A Levels (the horse management section of the “A” level). The Dressage Specialty Riding Test is no walk in the park either!
As riders “rate” through the system, starting with the fundamentals of horsecare and riding, they prove their skills through testings. These are no easy tests! Safety and the integrity of the ratings are a priority and much preparation, instruction and hard work goes into preparing the riders for their ratings. Rallies are held for concentrated coaching before rating sessions and the ponyclubbers must work together with a team in all areas of barn management. To make sure the kids are focused and learning the information themselves, parents are not allowed in the barn area at rallies.
Don’t get the idea that Ponyclub is all work and testing! Ponyclubbers learn while having fun! Jumping, gymkhana, eventing, foxhunting, all types of English riding opportunities abound, both at the local and national level. Scholarships are even available for hard-working applicants. If you are a young rider or if you have a young rider in the family I strongly recommend Ponyclub for a well-rounded horseman’s education. It’s a well-known fact, no one can teach you more than a pony!
It’s About Time….
March 8, 2010
“If your early you’re on time, if you’re on time you’re late, if you’re late you’re left behind.”
A successful competitor prepares ahead for the next exercise!
Despite the less-than-cooperative weather we’ve encountered this winter the competition season is upon us. Time to start navigating through the tests and working out the geometry of the arena. Just the mention of test riding has a paralyzing effect on many riders. It may be more productive and less fear inducing to think of it as a demonstration of your training rather than a “test”.
A ride in front of a judge, (as well as at home for that matter) should always demonstrate the rider’s understanding that maintaining and/or improving the horse’s natural gaits are the top priority. A quality transition ridden a stride late is more acceptable than an abrupt, unbalanced transition ridden precisely at the marker. While riding the diagrams accurately is always important, the test is designed to demonstrate that the rider has an understanding of the correct fundamentals of the level being shown. Of course, an accurately ridden figure is ideal, but never sacrifice the balance!
Preparation for each movement is the responsibility of the rider. This is what the corners of the arena are made for! There are two opportunities (corners) before each movement to make sure that the horse is forward, engaged and on the rider’s aids. The set-up for the next exercise should be done in the corner before it is performed. If the rider fails to utilize the corners to adequately prepare the horse, resulting in a movement that is marred by a loss of rhythm or balance, the price will be paid in the rider’s collective marks.
Several times before the show, have someone videotape your test ride. It is not uncommon to feel that the horse is clipping along in a forward fashion, only to see the ride on a video later and realize it was actually painfully sluggish. The opposite is also true, I have ridden many tests that I thought were nice and steady only to see them on video and realize I was rushing the horse off his feet. Ride the rhythm of the gait and work the exercises around it.
In the end, nobody, including the judge, is expecting perfection from your horse. The show is designed to demonstrate that your training is progressing correctly to continue through the levels. Ride your horse proudly and be forgiving if he is less than perfect. Even if there are errors in your ride, a tactful rider that is grateful for the ride is a winner in any good horseman’s eyes every time.
And the Winner is…..
March 6, 2010
It’s always exciting when I receive feedback from readers of the blog. Today’s comments brought an extra-special surprise….. An Award!!!! Yes, a fellow blogger, The Literary Horse, has bestowed upon me the coveted “Beautiful Blogger Award”!! I’m very flattered as her blog is brilliant! If you haven’t already started following her blog it is linked under my blogroll on every post. Why she is doing her blog for free when I would gladly buy her writings if they were published is beyond me, but I’ll take it while I can! There are fifteen other recipients of the award listed on her site, some of them I have read previously and some I have just found today but will be following from now on.
The award comes with two stipulations. I must list seven things my readers may not know about me (hmmm..scary!) and I must choose fifteen blogs in which to bestow the award. The seven things I can manage. The fifteen blogs will be a little trickier, as I have only been blogging a couple of months and haven’t had time to build a large base of other blogs to follow. In order to provide the links I will post the links of the other recipients, as I have previewed them all tonight and they are all great. As a matter of fact they are so good I am afraid I will lose my readers to them, but I greedily want to post my award so I will do it, and add one that I like as well!
OK. Seven things nobody knows (or not many people anyway!)
1. I have a tattoo of my late Malamute, Samson’s, paw print and name on my leg.
2. I went to bartending school, but never tended bar.
3. My Mom washes my show clothes and mails them back to me because she gets them the whitest.
4. I don’t own a television- hence the blog!
5. I still think I’m a teenager, but my license says I’m 42.
6. I once hiked 300 miles on the Appalachian Trail.
7. I tilt my head at a ridiculous angle when I teach and can’t stop no matter how hard I try! (What’s the deal with trainers and head tilting?)
The Literary Horse’s Beautiful Blogger Award Recipients:
In addition to Jane’s blog I would add Retired Racehorse as a recipient. Natalie is a frequent blogger with a great site heralding the Thoroughbred. Her posts and her comments on other’s posts are always insightful and funny. I will post more recipients as I commit to reading more blogs.
Sincere thanks to Jane at The Literary Horse for reading and acknowledging my blog and congratulations to the other award recipients! I consider myself in fine company. I encourage everyone to check out the links to the other award winners that Jane honored. There is a lot of pertinent information and positive energy being exchanged on these forums. If you are so inclined you may want to start a blog of your own. Everyone’s point of view is important and you never know, you might even win an award!!!
Anything worth Doing….
March 3, 2010
“Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly!” Zig Ziglar
Goodwood the greatest schoolmaster of all let me make lots of mistakes!
One of the biggest obstacles to overcome when pursuing dressage is perfectionism. This is a problem especially pervasive to the adult amateur. Most young riders seem content to attempt an exercise repeatedly, with no apparent doubt that eventually they will get it right. This is generally not so with adults. It is not uncommon for adults to worry if the first or second attempt at an exercise does not “feel” right. This worry is usually a result of erring on the side of kindness, as the rider expresses concern for not confusing or “messing up” the horse.
I believe that one cause of this confusion is that many of the classical dressage books are written from the perspective that a rider will be learning on a horse that is more educated than the rider. In this case, when the proper aids are given, the results will be consistent. Unfortunately, in this day and age, particularly in America, this is not so common. Frequently an instructor is training a horse and rider combination through the levels together. It is a lucky rider that has access to schoolmasters in which to learn the exercises properly before attempting them on their own horse.
Another aspect of perfectionism that inhibits a rider’s learning process is the reluctance to show imperfections in front of spectators. When others are watching, particularly those perceived to be negative in nature, many riders become very distracted and unwilling to attempt new or difficult exercises. This is problematic for the trainer as a productive training session should revolve around exercises in which the horse and rider are having difficulties. A minority of the lesson time should be spent covering exercises that have already been mastered.
So, keep in mind that it is fine to make mistakes, the horse will forgive you and you will never get it right without working out all of the possible errors. If it were so easy to perfect the exercises in one or two attempts we would all be riding Grand Prix in two months! If the people watching don’t understand why you are incorrectly riding that half-pass over and over again, be patient. In time it will be perfect and you will have the scores to validate your efforts. It is not important, or likely that everyone will understand. Give yourself a break and go out and do it poorly! It’s worth it!
Don’t miss the Rest of the Show…
March 2, 2010
Auguries of Innocence William Blake
Lots has been said of the horse’s life at a barn. Studies have been made to translate what each twitch and gesture communicates to the rest of the herd. An equal amount of less scientific study has been done to analyze the human residents at the barn as well. Most of these are comical in nature. EquineInks post yesterday is one of these studies that shouldn’t be missed!
It is a sad thing indeed, however, if while at the barn one gets too concentrated on the discipline of riding and the social opportunities at every washrack to enjoy the abundant nature reserve they’re visiting. A few silent moments is all that is needed to appreciate a conversation between the birds in the trees or the rhythm of the water in a creek. If you don’t have time to stray from the barn there is still plenty of wildlife all around you. Now is the time the barn swallows are building their nests preparing for spring. Some barn owners consider them a nuisance and go to efforts to discourage them from nesting in the barn, but I enjoy seeing the baby birds poking their heads out of the nests high above the stalls until they are ready to fly on their own!
Several barns I visit have barn owls which are more difficult to spot during the day but have made the occasional appearance, and their “hoot hooting” is unmistakable. Blue Herons are one of my favorite residents at barns that have bodies of water to host them. Care must be taken, however when riding by them as their sudden flight may startle a horse. Still worth having them around!
When catching your horse from his paddock, check the fence line for hawks, they sit very still and wait for mice and other small animals to move in the field before snatching them up and flying off for dinner. I have seen them carry away small snakes. These birds are but a few of the ones you can see and the hundreds you can hear if you slow down, listen and observe what’s already there.
Slow down when you have the chance and listen to the wind, the gossiping birds and the horses happily snorting and stomping. Experience life at the barn as your horse does, you won’t miss much if you take one less cellphone call to do it. Don’t let the pressures of everyday life hurry you into missing all of the glimpses into nature’s conversations that we are privileged to by virtue of our horse’s friendship.
