Uh…what was I saying again?
February 7, 2010
"It's a bear!"
As in my lessons, it is easy to get sidetracked in these blogs. Yesterday, I had originally intended to use my video clip with Scott Hassler to stress how valuable it is to videotape lessons, shows, and practice rides. It is difficult to override my admiration for trainers I deeply respect. Now that I got that over with there is another theme to explore in the same clip. If you didn’t see the clip, it is located at the bottom of the last post.
A common theme, especially with adult amateur riders, is how to handle a situation when a horse gets tense or spooks. It is not uncommon for a student to give me a list of the items or situations that cause their horse to spook. It is sometimes difficult for me to get the student to override their concern for these particular scenarios, and instead focus on the behaviour the horse is exhibiting when it encounters the fearful object or situation. An example would be, fear of a mounting block in the corner of the arena. The horse shies and runs sideways each time it approaches the mounting block. Here it comes….”He’s afraid of the dang mounting block!”, followed by kicking and fussing.
The mounting block, in this case, is immaterial…it could be a dog, a bucket, a plant, anything… the focus should be the loss of rhythm, and the falling in on the inside leg. This is something that can be corrected. You cannot predict every object you may come across in your horse’s life and train him not to be afraid of it. You can instead, train him to move correctly on your aids, and soon his trust will build when he realizes that your decisions have kept him safe. Having a conversation with your trainer about why he doesn’t like mounting blocks, hats, etc. is nice, but not conducive to fixing the problem.
This is more aptly stated by Scott, in the video when an unseen person drops some folding chairs while I am cantering Lucy. There is a sudden “Bang” and Lucy immediately tenses up (she doesn’t look that tense but she felt it!) He calmly reassures me ”There are no noises…just her body- if her body gets nervous, ride the body”. He offers the disclaimer “This sounds so easy from the ground.” But this is what we must aspire to. Ignoring the stimulus, controlling our adrenalin and riding the horse’s body. If the horse’s body is stiff (from fear) ride it the way you would ride a stiff horse. Don’t add in the element of panic. Nobody’s saying it will be easy. It will take time, but the first step is visualizing. Then practicing……then one day….Bang!!!!…Nothing.
That kind of Hassler I can deal with…..
February 6, 2010
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- Trainers don’t get much better than this!
Rainy day again… Good day to look over earlier videos and try to learn something. For the thousandth time I watch my videos of previous lessons and clinics to refresh my memory. For the thousandth time I find something that I didn’t notice before and seems suddenly profound. I am never sure if these revelations become clear because of recent events, but that’s immaterial anyway, might as well just take it like it comes.
This particular instance comes in a lesson I had two years ago at Hassler Dressage, with the King of young horses, Scott Hassler. I believe Scott is the future of dressage. I spent a week in Maryland at his beautiful facility and have never ridden with anyone more positive and encouraging than Scott. It is no wonder he is so successful with the young horses, they are such willing partners as he is extremely knowledgeable, and incredibly respectful, patient, and kind to every horse he trains.
I have attached a clip of my lesson on Lucy, a very lovely, but quite hot, little Oldenburg mare that belongs to my friend Kimberly Vernachio. I have included this piece of video, as the explanation Scott gives about “coaching” her through her tension, especially when there are loud noises in the unfamiliar arena, are of particular interest to me. At the time this video was taken I had not been riding very long after a bad fall and was quite reactionary to loud noises. Scott’s advice, riding the horse’s body and not the noise, was, to me, a very meaningful analogy. I have watched this video time and time again and have never before caught the quick explanation.
I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to ride with a trainer I respect as much as Scott. And very glad to have gotten it all on video, as I will continue to learn from it years after the experience!
Give a GERL a Hand…
February 5, 2010
Drew Olsen Helps GERL and Horses!
Years ago, leaving a horse show, I was passed on the interstate by a large stock trailer, filled beyond capacity with thin, shaggy horses, standing untied facing every direction. I no longer remember the name of the company on the truck, but it was clear the horses were heading to auction. Many years later I still cry when I remember their eyes peering out naïvely from between the slats in the trailer as they headed down interstate 20. Alongside I pulled my horse, comfortably munching hay with a warm snuggly blanket and protective shipping boots.
I have since wondered why there aren’t more horse shows with proceeds that benefit horse charities. I have often thought of organizing one but regret that I have yet to do so. I am happy to say that some other people are more organized than I am and I thank them for that. Thanks to Facebook, a friend notified me of a trail ride being hosted by Foxhall Farms. This is a beautiful facility that in earlier years hosted the Foxhall Cup CCI***, an international three-day event. The proceeds collected will benefit the Georgia Equine Rescue League and horses that have been impounded by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. Georgia Equine Rescue League (GERL) is a fantastic charity that helps horses that have been abused or abandoned or are otherwise in need. The need for help in caring for these horses is critical with the economy in a slow spot.
In addition to the trail ride, clinician Drew Olsen from Southern Horsemanship (“R” judge and good friend and mentor Leslie Olsen’s son!) will be giving a demonstration. There will be an auction of donated items and of rehabilitated horses from the Georgia Department of Agriculture. If you have room for a horse at your farm I’m sure some of these horses would love a home!
Please get together some friends and come out for the trail ride on June 5 from 9:00 to 4:00. If you are unable to attend please click the link for the Georgia Equine Rescue League and donate any items you can or any amount of money you can do without to help these horses that have lost their homes. I’ve checked with my horses and they said they don’t mind doing with a few less treats this month to help their brothers and sisters in need!
Summer Trail Ride at Foxhall Farms 8000 Caps Ferry Rd. Douglasville, Georgia
Inspirational Coffins…
February 4, 2010
Tad Coffin at Sand and Spur Clinic
Looking through some old photographs, I stumbled across a picture from a series of Tad Coffin clinics I participated in at Sand and Spur Riding Club on Eglin AFB. These clinics were in the early 80′s and I was in my early teens (I’m sure apologies are in order for Mr. Coffin!). I have ridden with many exceptional horsemen with amazing resumes but for many reasons I have always thought of Tad Coffin as one of the most memorable and inspirational clinicians I have had the pleasure to have trained under.
Tad, a three-day eventer who won individual and team Olympic gold medals on Bally Cor in 1976, walked and stretched, and I mean stretched, (he demonstrated the splits, both ways, in lunch discussion) the entire time he taught. No wasted time sitting around while he was teaching. This was before the fitness revolution brought on by the first home workout videos.
After I became frustrated with my horse, a hot Thoroughbred cross, he took the time out after our group ride to talk to me alone about the use of imagery, a concept that now is popular but then was almost unheard of. I still remember how he explained a study to me in which three groups of people were observed playing basketball, one group practiced every day for a month, group two didn’t practice, but visualized practicing every day for the month, and group three neither practiced nor visualized practicing. At the end of the study the group that practiced showed the best results, but the group that visualized practicing also showed marked improvement. Group three, of course, showed no improvement. He wanted me to practice visualizing riding perfectly when I had extra time on my hands, even before sleep. I still do this to this day.
These are just a couple of ways that Tad opened my eyes to new ways of thinking. He was an exceptionally aware teacher, that took his time out to personally address concerns that others might dismiss as teenage angst. This is a concept I have aspired to achieve in my own dealings with clients. His innovative techniques are as useful now as they were twenty-five years ago (or more!).
When getting the personal facts together about Tad I googled his name and in his Wikipedia entry I learned that he is a nephew to an internationally acclaimed peace and civil rights activist, William Sloane Coffin. I have linked to his biography as it is too vast to describe in this blog and too great not to read. I don’t know how much time Tad spent with his uncle, but I do know that in his own way he was very inspirational to at least one grateful teenage girl. Much love to you Tad.
He Cost What???
February 2, 2010
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- Keep inserting Cash
As a travelling trainer I get to meet a lot of horses and horse people in the Atlanta area. Because of my mobility, and probably my propensity to talk, I have a lot of friends, in different capacities, in the horse business. The barns that allow me to come teach vary from the simple, to the upscale. Many of the horses I deal with belong to people that ride for pleasure and want to develop a more confident and harmonious partnership. Others are competition horses, dressage and eventers, that range from low level to advanced level competitors. I value the relationship I have with every one of them equally.
I occasionally get a call from a friend or acquaintance in reference to a horse I may know from my travels. I don’t mind giving an assessment of a horse, but find myself stumped when asked “what do you think he’s worth?”. This is a question I always wonder myself, but I don’t know who the ultimate authority is to determine a horse’s worth. Where do these magic number’s come from?
The “worth” of a horse, to me, can only be determined by knowing the potential buyer. The highest valued Paso Fino in the world isn’t worth much to an international Grand Prix rider just as a top-of-the-line show jumper isn’t going to be worth much to someone wanting to show western pleasure. Even narrowed down to the dressage discipline, a steady, aged schoolmaster that forgives mistakes is worth his weight in gold to the amateur looking to learn the upper levels, however, to the seasoned professional a younger, more elastic horse is a necessity.
Once the “worth” is determined and the horse is purchased, there is the problem of maintaining that worth. If a considerable sum of money is paid for a horse with a solid competition record, and the new owner is not as experienced as the past owner, the worth can diminish with the lower scores on the horse’s record. This is one reason why it is common for professionals to occasionally show amateur’s horses. If a rider chooses not to show a horse, the horse’s worth, especially where insurance is concerned, again diminishes.
Most unfortunately, if a horse gets an injury, or needs surgery, his determined worth plummets. This is what I encountered when my Contango baby lost his eye. This is why I contend that worth is in the demands of the buyer. After his surgery he may have lost what some consider worth but there isn’t enough money in the world to buy him from me.
Because of these variables my advice to shoppers is to always keep their own needs in mind, and not get confused with what someone considers a horse’s worth. When a horse shows up that matches all of the criteria, then look around at several horses in a comparable price range. This is the only way I know to decide if a price is fair. I have met a million horses, with price tags from one dollar to one million dollars and each one of them, to someone, is worth everything in the world.
Getting out of the Rectangle….
February 1, 2010
Kayla and Norman sans arena
The last post was about the rein, this one is inspired by the rain! We’ve got more than our share of it here in the Atlanta area. As Georgians we’re used to humidity but this is a bit too much! The arenas are waterlogged and unridable most of the time. So, instead of moping around and missing lessons, it’s time for dressage in the great outdoors! Out of the arena that is!
Too often, as dressage riders, we neglect to school outside of the dressage arena, and then look like beginners all over again once we are talked into our annual trail ride. Most dressage riders I know began as Three-day Eventers or Jumpers of some capacity, but after years of circling slowly around, confined to a ninety meter rectangle, the thought of a two-hour straight line is daunting.
A gently sloping hill is great for muscle and stamina building. Going uphill is a great way to allow the horse to go forward and a safe place for the rider to release the contact. The grade will regulate the speed, and the freedom offered the horse will allow him to enjoy himself. In the field as well as in the arena, all training should be enjoyable for the rider and the horse!
A spooky horse can be worked in a small area at first, perhaps even on a circle, until he is more comfortable. It makes more sense to slowly build his trust, than to bully him past every scary object on the trail. He does not have to learn to ride out in one outing, and it is best to keep it short and stress-free in the beginning. If treated with kindness and patience, he will soon learn that his rider friend can be trusted to see him safely back to the barn.
When teaching a nervous rider try to have her focus on her horse’s ears. When the horse loses attention, and pricks his ears at something in the distance, I ask the rider to touch him lightly with her right leg and watch his ears. Invariably, his right ear will cock backward halfway. We then repeat on left side – same thing, left ear cocks back. I explain that a horse is only capable of focusing on one thing at a time. This is why a twitch is effective. In the event the horse hears something rustling in the brush and tenses every muscle at full attention, it is better to bend him and apply leg to regain his attention. Once the ears are half-way cocked back, he is again focused on his rider. Many people err in thinking that if they stay really quiet and still, the horse will calm down as a result of this inaction, and they will be ok. Then, a rabbit runs out of the bushes and they’re off!
See if you can talk one of your friends out of the arena and go have some fun! Don’t panic, you can still practice your lateral work on the trail! You might even have a little fun doing it! Happy Trails!
Mom teaches Forward Driving Aids…
January 24, 2010
Mom’s here visiting again from South Carolina. In between helping me teach my students (she’s very fond of trotting poles) and critiquing my riding (she fancies herself the classical master), she has driven me around while my truck is being repaired from mouse damage (the topic for another blog). I don’t want to sound ungrateful but she has a few driving habits that need schooling. The most pronounced one reminds me of the problem I have with a few students.
This comes at an opportune time as I was trying to think of ways to simplify some dressage concepts anyway. Mom’s flawed technique might help someone better understand the concept of ”forward“. This sounds simple enough, but like most dressage terms there is an underlying complexity involved. In the Mom example, I live in Atlanta where there are multiple lanes of traffic. Lots of lanes, lots of merging. Mom tends to panic when forced to merge into heavy traffic. During the lane transition she takes her foot “off” the gas. This causes a considerable loss of power, and a lot of stress for me. Because we were going forward previously, we are still moving in the same direction but the engine is not engaged, thus we experience a huge loss of momentum and another close call with an eighteen-wheeler. This is similar to a horse that is traveling from one spot in the arena to the other as if in idle. The horse is getting where it needs to be, eventually, but the engine is not engaged, hence the instructor keeps screaming “forward, forward, more forward!” even though you are moving (sort, of). This is very common in corners. Taking your foot “off ” the gas when you need to engage the engine.
I tried to explain this to Mom, as I have a hundred times before. I thought my dressage analogy would make it clear and she would see the light. Instead she told me “I was doing half-halts”. I guess that’s another blog too.
Ode to Joy….
January 20, 2010
Every show that comes up, it never fails, one of my kids will ask me “Do we have to braid for this show?” I guess they’re hoping that I might slip up and say “no, not this one”. Never going to happen. Even judges at schooling shows (maybe, especially judges at schooling shows!) deserve the respect shown by a neatly turned out horse. Whether or not you appreciate the scores and comments the judge gives you on your ride, a huge amount of time, dedication, and education goes into becoming a judge and due respect should be shown.
In our area there is a great professional braider named Joy. Many people’s show have been saved when they see Joy’s sign up sheet at the show. Instead of uneven, loose scraggly balls of tangled hair their horse will have even, neat, perfect button braids lined down his neck. Now, I don’t want to put Joy out of business, (I use her myself, don’t tell anyone!), but I do think it’s important to know how to braid. If your worst nightmare should come true and you run frantically around the showground asking for Joy and she happens to be at another show that weekend, don’t even think of looking at me! If you’ve seen my clip-jobs my braiding jobs are about as good so I’ve attached a really helpful video on braiding for you. Enjoy and see you at the show! (Pray for Joy!)
No Homework today!…just riding!!
January 9, 2010
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- books on horses…
Thought that it might be prudent to have a reading selection for learning dressage, then I remembered I don’t read dressage books! Whooops.. probably shouldn’t admit that! The “L” judging program has a recommended reading list..usdf reading .. that has all the books they recommend for aspiring judges and instructors. I own them all and have poked through them a bit. Pretty dry reading for the most part. As far as reading goes, the best literature on this subject I can recommend is the USDF glossary of terms. I tried to find one online but it seems for the comprehensive list you should visit the USDF website and join! Here is the link..USDF …be sure to request the handbook as it has the glossary, list of competitions, scribing abbreviations, rules for the warm-up arena, etc. It has all the information you must know without all the esoteric blathering. Sounds elementary but just reading the straight definition of each movement and what defines each judging term will clarify exactly what is desired.
For educational (and fun!) purposes, auditing clinics, symposiums, and lessons are more relevant as dressage is typically a dynamic activity. In the Atlanta area alone I have ridden in or audited many great clinics, Conrad Schumacher, Col. Axel Steiner, Lisa Wilcox…the list goes on and on, and I am always surprised at the relatively small group of auditors that attend. Horseshows, too, lots to learn, not many spectators. If watching competition is a little slow going for you scribing is a great way to learn about riding and meet some interesting horsemen as well.
There are lots of good video series but they can be pricey. If you have a budget that allows for educational materials I like the website Dressageclinic.com Plenty of instruction to watch when you can’t be at the barn riding.
Riding is, of course, the activity most conducive to learning to ride. Whether your goals are competition or competent riding for pleasure you will learn exponentially more by spending your time with your horse instead of your books. There is nothing a person can write about horses that your horse can’t tell you better himself. So put up your books and go ride..your horse will never know.
You had to see this one coming…..
January 6, 2010
Most of you know me personally, and felt compelled to visit this blog by my constant pleas on Facebook. Thanks for that! For those of you that don’t, you should probably meet my horse, Nickel, (his mother’s name was Penny). He will probably guest blog for me sometimes when I’m out-of-town or something. Don’t believe everything he says though. Nickel and I have been partners since before he was one. He’s been the horse I’ve always wanted and as good a friend as anyone could ask. The last year, however, was rough, as around Thanksgiving ’08 an infection developed in his right eye and all the efforts of good doctors, friends, family and myself were not enough to save it. The surgeon at the University informed me that removing his eye was necessary as the pain resulting from the infection and treatment could cause further systemic damage.
I don’t want this to become a tear-jerker (he wouldn’t like that), but when the patch came off after surgery it was difficult not to pity this horse I’d known since he was a baby. It was only with the help of family, good friends at the barn, and the horse community that had once again supported me in difficulty, that I was able to adjust. Everything, all of a sudden, was a new experience. What was he going to be like in turnout? How would the other horses react? Would he be spooky to ride? Would he bump into things? So…a year has passed, hair has grown over the indentation where his eye once was. The other questions? Shhhh…. Don’t mention it too loudly, I don’t think he’s noticed yet. Goes out with the other horses, still bossy. Doesn’t spook, works as well as ever, in the arena and out. Thinks he is the hottest looking horse at a showground. I’m not telling him any different. I think so too.
The photo above was taken by my dear friend and equine photographer Kay Woody of MKW Photography and is Nickel with my main sponsor “Mom”. Kay won my endorsement as best photographer ever after she told me of trying to photograph Nickel and Mom- “I kept trying to take it with his good side showing but he doesn’t seem to care, so I thought, why should I?’
And the deciding vote….
January 6, 2010
Short blog today- must get some work done sometime! Speaking of showing the other day reminded me of last competition of the season (at least for me) in 2009. Had an adult amateur, an anonymous regular commenter on the blog, showing in her first recognized competition. Luckily her horse, a saintly big grey, knows his business. After a couple of wardrobe changes and a bee sting before warmup, said rider was ready to show. All was quiet and tensions were mounting as our nervous rider trotted around and around the competition arena while the judge slowly labored over the previous rider’s remarks. Finally.. the bell rang and the now pale rider made the last loop around the arena to enter at A. Just as she was making it down the long side, a little girl and her mother appeared about seventy-five feet away on the sidewalk. Clearly this was the little girl’s first dressage show and upon seeing the beautiful grey horse with his mane braided like something from a girl’s dream, she cupped her hands over her mouth and screamed “I LOVE YOUR HORSE!!!” right before the grand entry at A.
The test went well and the judge seemed happy with the horse and rider combination; however, to me the most important vote had already been cast by the horse crazy little girl with dreams of white horses.
you know, dressaaaaaggge…
January 4, 2010
When the friendly cashier at the gas station, prompted by my breeches and boots, asks what kind of horses I ride I avoid the embarrassing pantomime by lying and saying “jumping horses”. It is not that I want to lie but most everyone knows what jumping horses do. Trying to describe dressage to someone who has not been exposed to it is quite a challenge. If you have an explanation that sounds better than “dancing with your horse” please feel free to leave it in the comment box. It has occurred to me that when learning to ride as a child in England and Germany we were learning the concepts that are commonly known as dressage but we never really called it that specifically. We were learning riding or training or horsemanship, etc. The concepts were the same but it was, from my perspective, not so much its own identity. We didn’t talk about “dressage” as if it were separate from riding in general. It was training. It seems to have evolved into having a mystique and a sense of the unattainable. I am glad that there are still people like Theo vanBruggen, the site administrator at Topdressage.TV From what I can gather from the bulletin boards he is an accomplished creator of top dressage freestyle compositions. He regularly posts videos of top riders and horses from competitions around the world as well as inviting thought-provoking discussions of real substance. If the link I hope follows this sentence is the one I want it is of HansPeter Minderhoud riding the inexperienced ZiziTop….ZiziTop
This is, to me, a great reminder of what dressage is. It’s not all piaffe, passage, and top hats. Sometimes dressage is just “training”.
Let them Laugh…..
January 4, 2010
I judged a schooling show for a lady that ran a large lesson program years ago and one of the classes consisted of people leading children through intro tests at a walk. Man, what a long test. When I questioned her later about the class, suspecting she was including everyone to boost entry fees, she told me “If you can get them competing while they’re kids they won’t mind competing the rest of their lives. Once they get a little older they’re too embarrassed and never feel like they’re ready.” Now that I have been teaching for quite a number of years I know what she means. A young child puts little to no thought into the question if you ask them if they would like to participate in the upcoming show. “Yes!” they answer almost unanimously. Very competent adult amateur riders, while tempted, will anguish over the same question. I have found that convincing them that they are performing the requirements of the tests beautifully is impossible so I have abandoned the direct approach. Getting the proposed competitor to come watch a show while I’m coaching others is helpful. While we are watching the warm-up arena or even a competition arena I will point out some unlucky rider struggling with their test. Once we have diverted our attention from the flawed performance I ask the future competitor to describe the rider or the markings on the naughty horse. Even after only seconds have passed nobody can describe the person that was bucking in their test. I point out that even though it feels like everyone notices every mistake we make in the dressage arena, in reality nobody is even giving it a second thought. After the show I ask my client if they saw anybody that was so bad they wanted to laugh them out of the arena and; of course, the answer is no. Now, don’t get me wrong, we’ve all heard nasty remarks around the arena at shows or clinics, but in most every case it’s from someone too insecure to put themselves up for criticism. The person that feels far more comfortable pointing out other’s mistakes than working on their own. Because their remarks are the most memorable they seem the most prevalent but I contend these people are the minority and should be ignored. Most people including judges, instructors, and fellow riders are far too busy working on their own goals to try and foil anyone elses. I’ll proudly coach the hard-working, struggling, honest competitor over standing with the best dressed, most opinionated critic any day.
Make them earn their Check…
January 3, 2010
Reading the responses and postings from adult amateur riders compels me to address a common misunderstanding between instructor and instructee. In a fellow blogger’s comment section I referenced the different psyches involved with teaching teenagers and teaching adults. (see comments) This generated some discussion on why adults may have specific concerns. Alas, I too am an adult and have indeed suffered injuries from riding. I however, seem to believe more in some adults than they believe in themselves. This is usually illustrated when we first meet and are setting long-term goals. Almost invariably if I ask a teenager what they would like to accomplish they say “I want to ride in the Olympics.” Lofty goals indeed. We then discuss what kind of dedication is involved in reaching that kind of commitment. When I ask an adult with seemingly the same ambition and enthusiasm the identical question I usually get a somewhat embarrassed laugh and an off the cuff comment like “Well, I know we’re not going to the Olympics or anything, but it might be nice to show training level or something.” I then know that in addition to the technical aspects of dressage I am in for a big confidence building campaign as well. It’s not that I mind working on this aspect of my job, I am just left to wonder what happens to people who seem perfectly fine in every way, that somewhere along the road in life they went from believing they had the world by the tail to doubting they could perform at the basic level. I have seen many adult amateurs reach FEI levels when someone believed in them and they coupled that with the required amount of work to accomplish the goal. So the next time your trainer asks you what your goals are, don’t let them off easy, they might take your word for it. Tell them what your goals are and be willing to make the sacrifices to get there. You’re probably just one believer’s opinion away.
*Photo by MKW Photography
I come in Peace!
January 2, 2010
Freaked out last week by responses from visitors from another blog by an amateur dressage rider going by the pen “dressage rider”. This is a great blog with a lot of humor and insight I can only aspire to. In reading others blogs it becomes clear that one must find common links in a horseman’s life and not just give a blow by blow of day to day activity. I found the resposes to my posts interesting and will try and address their points of view through blogs of my own in order to give them the trainer’s point of view. I hope this can be a fun way to bridge the educational gap and have a few laughs in a discipline that can use a little humor. Check out dressage rider’s blog- especially the one about boot reading, and be sure and leave me ideas about future blogs. I can take the heat!!
No charge for horses, surcharge for people
December 24, 2009
With the family at the beach today (shore for Northerners) so we took advantage of the guided sea kayaking. Hours of paddling through Mother Natures best, seagulls, pellicans and a host of other birds to admire on the route. Listening to our guide, Gavin, identify the local wildlife reminded me of what inspired me to quit my career as an insurace agent and train horses full time. Many years ago my mother gave my brother and I a whitewater rafting trip down the Colorado River as a gift. We had an amazing time, some in part to a great guide that manned our raft. He explained that in the summer time he and his guide friends escorted tourists down the beautiful Colorado River and in the winter they taught skiing at the resorts in Utah and Colorado. I’m not sure it had ever occurred to me that life could be that perfect. I decided that training horses all day was a real possibility. It was what I would do even if I didn’t need money.
Back to the current trip- while we paddled along contentedly with the current I considered Gavin’s role and thought “He shouldn’t be getting paid for this, it hardly seems fair”. He even spoke of how he kayaked alone every morning so how is this different? It occurred to me that many people have said this to me before. Riding horses all day and spending my time at the barn is an enviable position for many paople. I figured what differentiated the time I train for money and the time I train for fun came down to the human element. Horses by nature are much easier to contend with than people. Communicating with them is far less complex than the dealings we endure with each other. Constantly changing termperaments, moods, goals and loyalties are but a small bit of the baggage human relationships come with. Don’t get me wrong, all of my clients are lovely people and their business is very appreciated. So when the time comes for me to collect my fees I never charge for training and spending my time with the horse. That’s my passion. I only charge for his owner.
Bulletin Bored?
December 22, 2009
There are a few dressage related bulletin boards that I browse through almost daily. One of the most humorous is the equine magazine Chonicle of the Horse Board http://www.chronofhorse.com. This one contains anonymous bickering about the controversy surrounding the use of rollkur in elite equestrian training. Never heard of it? Neither had I until I started reading the board. Another board that allows anonymous debate that usually takes on a life of its own is Ulitmate Dressage Bulletin Board http://www.ultimatedressage.com. In order to understand these boards a few acronyms are needed. RK=rollkur, also written as HP (hyperflexion), much debate is given to determining the difference if there is any of the two terms. ODG= old, dead guys. This refers to classical dressage masters that are no longer living but have created a legacy that no living mortals can equal. OTTB=off the track Thoroughbred. Not used too much in the dressage boards.
You get the idea- live a little and create a nickname of your own (if you use your dog’s or horse’s name your friends will know who you are). You can even learn something from the informational posts. But to live dangerously tread into the RK debate. Or post your admiration for Anky VG or Edward Gal then stand back for the blast!
