A little Clarity is a Good Thing

I re-read my last post and just wanted to clarify something.  I'm not completely against showing.  I'm really not!  I have done a fair bit of showing in the past and still do show occasionally.  For me, though, its been a battle to justify the expense vs the rewards, and also a real dislike of being in the spotlight. As well, I don't really care what the numbers on a test sheet say, although I do enjoy reading the comments.  I realized many years ago that my true joy lies in the everyday training I do quietly at my farm. I find the dressage tests unimaginative, and I hate having to be so accurate in the movements! I know, I know, its good for me.  But as I tend to be one of those free spirited, creative types, it sucks the joy out of me faster then a surprise math quiz.

I've spent the last 4 days riding and enjoying my ponies, despite the rather frigid weather.  Yesterday, after braving the brutal wind that pushed the temperatures towards -25 all morning my working student A and I decided to head inside and watch horse videos and clean tack for the remainder of the afternoon.  We ended up watching Anja Beran on YouTube as she presented her training ideas in a symposium to a large audience in Germany.  The highlight of the video to me was when a women entered the ring riding a lovely Lipizzaner stallion.  It was explained that he was 30 years old and still did his dressage work on a daily basis.  They then rode around the ring doing walk-canter transitions, tempi changes and at the end a beautiful piaffe.  He was lovely, proud, and soft, and so sound in his movement I would have put his age at 15 rather then 30.  I was so excited!  Its how I hope my horses will be when they reach that age- I'm not Anja Beran, not even close, but I pray I can have such a positive impact on my horses!

I think thats why I often squirm away from showing.  How can we expect our horses to stay sound and have the amazing longevity of that stallion, when the majority of horses we see in the ring are over ridden and tense?  Strong contact and driving seats are the norm, and we wonder why there are so many horses getting hock injections? or needing chiropractic care? Or having major training issues?  I see so many horses being ridden who's hind legs are uneven, with one snatching off the ground and the other bearing more of the weight.  The enormous flicking front leg movement is drooled over, but how is the stress of the horses weight slapping the ground affecting its long term health? If your horse is so heavy on the reins it causes your arms or back to tire or be sore, how does the horse feel?  A bigger bit and draw reins may solve the problem in the short term, but what happens when that stops working? 

We must do better, we owe the horses more then this!  I am FAR from perfect, I am no high earning trainer and I don't want to sound too full of myself. But I feel that we as horse owners are responsible for these animals well being.  Not just now, but in the future as well. If showing is what you enjoy, thats fine, but winning a ribbon shouldn't be our marker of success!  

I spent a summer working at a very successful dressage barn in another province.  I went there expecting to be in awe, to learn by being immersed in a dressage rich enviroment. I chose an instructor with whom I had taken clinics with and considered classical.  What I got was a crash course in modern dressage and the new horse industry economics. I came home disillusioned and lost.  But that is a story for my next post.  As well, I will also introduce my horses, and discuss their training.  I also feel a need to delve into my past horses, and how they shaped my training philosophy.  I hope you tune in!

Josh and I showing (and winning) at second level Spring 2015