BR Equestrian

Stories

• Successful Riding: Effort vs. Talent

  When I was six, the pony I was on took off and jumped a small jump in the sand ring. I hadn’t jumped yet. I fell off and, for the first time ever, I had the wind knocked out of me. 

  I have no idea what I did to cause said pony to run off. I do remember being pretty terrified, not understanding that having the wind knocked out of you is more of an annoyance and will pass very quickly. 

  My instructor at the time was laughing uproariously at my 6-year-old self on the ground, in the wet sand. 

  Oddly, 42 years later, I still remember him bent over me, laughing his head off as I struggled to breathe, telling me I have no talent and I should stop wasting my parent’s money.

  It’s funny thinking back on that, knowing all the things I’ve accomplished on and off horseback. How easily he could have prevented me from having this career with his words that afternoon. 

  What it did do is spur me onto work harder, learn faster, and read more. 

  My motto has always been, “don’t tell me I can’t do something.” 

  Maybe it’s the redhead, maybe it’s just the sheer love and want to be around horses. 

  I read an article a few years back about how effort trumps talent. To be honest, I don’t really think I have any riding talent – what I have always had is drive. I showed up every day I could, I worked in the barn, and taught to get more rides and more opportunities to show. I rode any horse handed to me, even ones I was scared to ride. I groomed at shows for other people to learn how the show world works. 

  And it’s not just me. I’ve had students who have worked their hinny’s off to be able to ride more, show more, just be at the barn more – those are the people who succeed in the horse world, on horseback and off.

  I know that not everyone is competitive. But for those who want it – I mean really want it – I’m not only proof it can be done, but I have and will continue to go out of my way to help that person make their dreams come true in whatever capacity I can. 

• Don't Pressure Yourself: Faster Doesn't Mean Better

  When did we as humans decide that we had to do things faster? Jump higher, ride more tricks now! 

  When did that equate to better? 

  I have come across so many riders who think that if they don’t learn and perfect a new concept immediately, they are lacking as riders. They claim that as A-type personalities, they MUST be better faster – but this puts unrealistic pressure on yourself.

  This is akin to expecting a grade 3 student to not only read The Great Gatsby, but to comprehend it too. Let’s face it: there is that child out there somewhere who can, but the average human, even with a high IQ, needs the time to learn. 

  Expecting yourself to be that child only sets you up for failure. Human bodies need time to fit up, to understand feel and balance. As a rider, you may be able to jump a 4-foot fence but still need time to successfully navigate a 2’9 course. Or, you might be able to ride a flying change, but not understand the requirements of a walk/trot dressage test. And it’s perfectly normal!

  I have a lovely, wise dressage student who explains it like this:

  “First you learn to walk, trot and canter. Then, you learn to *walk*, then *trot, then *canter*, then you learn to walk...”

  As one understands the basics of each gait, they then can learn the nuances of independence, self carriage, through-ness, feel, and so on. As you progress through each stage, the next level is presented. 

  There is a method to the madness. It takes time, repetition, and patience – not an A-type personality. Since most of us can only ride a few days a week if we’re lucky, that means the time it takes to be able to sit the trot, execute an effective half halt, or jump a 2’9 course takes longer. 

  This is not a negative. With a good mental attitude and persistence, riders can accomplish anything they set their mind to. If you’ve ever found yourself saying “This is so frustrating. I can’t do this,” take a step back. Anyone with knowledge of psychology knows that once someone believes this statement, they have defeated themselves and will no longer be able to accomplish that which they seek so desperately. 

  If you truly believe you can – you will. It *will* take time, practice, failure, perseverance, and some good old-fashioned sweat and aching muscles! 

  Believe me, I speak from experience. I was once told I should stop wasting my parent’s money since I had zero talent in horse riding. Instead, I decided to make him eat his words. I don’t think I have any talent to be honest, but I have a love of the horse and an understanding of bio-mechanics that was hard learned, and a red-headed determination that beat everything else. 😊 

  Be kind and patient with yourself – and enjoy the journey along the way.

• Teaching Adult Riders

  When I started teaching, I was too young to really know, or understand, a lot of the concepts I currently work with – never mind how to really work with someone’s body to help them ride. 

  Teaching kids or young adults through the basics of horse riding is a fun and fairly easy thing to do. You ask – they may ask a few questions about technique, how to do it, and so on – but they try and practice. Often, they’ll bounce and bop around up there until it works!

  Ask an adult – especially an adult woman – to do something and that is a totally different entity, which is probably why I love it so much. 

  Many of us overthink *everything*. And I do mean everything – we can overthink a glass of water given the opportunity. I honestly believe nature has hardwired us this way. It was how females made sure the family survived before the modern age. 

  Today, with mortgages, families, bills, we think more and more about things we have zero control over and stress ourselves out about it. Now, add in a risky sport. *snerk* 

  Teaching gown ups involves a level of concentration and a knowledge base I never knew I possessed. 

  For example: I have ladies who have physical restrictions – some from car accidents, injuries and/or simple degenerating joints. All these ladies (and it really is more ladies than gents – I coach many men too!) have a drive to learn like you wouldn’t believe and it’s *my job* to make sure they can reach those goals. 

  Learning how to help these riders find a way to ride any horse (right from the upper level jumper to the upper level dressage horse) is one of the greatest challenges I have ever experienced. Finding the techniques and tweaks to help them use their bodies beyond the restrictions, beyond the mental panic and the uncertainty is incredibly challenging and fun. They keep me on my toes with how to explain, how to find new ways to apply aids, how to teach them to shift their bodies, how to relax their bodies.

  The greatest irony: calling across the arena to tell a rider to “Relax!” It’s a running joke among many of my riders now. Half the time I can’t say it without laughing. 

  I’ve learned to develop stretches while the riders are mounted to try and put their bodies (legs/back/arms) into a balanced position. I’ve learned that correct in the technical sense, is not correct for 90% of adult riders. 

  BUT!!!

  We have always found a way to get these riders doing half-passes, tempis, and jumping courses. 

  BUT!!!

  This also means understanding that there are days when it simply doesn’t happen – between weather, outside stresses, sleeping wrong! Some days are about finding how to get their bodies to simply sit in the saddle and post the trot. Those days can be some of the most rewarding days. The rider learning how to move a hip in a certain way gives me another tool in my toolbox to help the next rider when they are sore, frustrated, or being hard on themselves.  

  One of my ladies has to canter before she trots, or her back will not loosen and function in any capacity. That discovery changed her lessons – and how much she can do in an hour every time!

  One of my other ladies rode at another barn recently (she has a special needs daughter who rides at a fabulous, specialized barn). She hopped on a horse there and came to me the next week beyond upset, convinced she couldn’t ride worth a damn and should quit. She sat on Lake stretching while we chatted through this – she has degenerative hip and knee restrictions. This in the most basic terms means she is not able to apply any strong pressure on the horse’s sides. I’ve been working with her on how to use her seat, apply aids with hips, seat bones and her calves without a lot of pressure. She’s been wildly successful on a few of my horses using these tools. I mean wildly successful – on the days when weather and such don’t affect her movement, she can walk, trot, canter, leg yield and half pass at all three gaits while the horse is fully on the bit. What I discovered as she berated herself is that that horse likes to veer into the middle and needs a lot of leg to get back out, which many riders could struggle with. 

  These ladies are not bad riders, these are not bad horses; one just has to match up the rider with the specific skills of the horse and also help the rider understand why things are or are not happening. This is another tool in the toolbox!

  Teaching adult ladies with specific injuries/restrictions is becoming one of my niches. It makes me think, makes me listen, makes me watch the partnership on a level I hadn’t considered before to help them reach their goals. 

  As a coach who loves challenges, this is a great skill set to be developing. Not to mention seeing these ladies smile as things work, or the dawning understanding as to why the horse isn’t responding that day and ways to function around that, that works in practise and not just in theory!