PrintOur columnist cautions riders to approach clinics and symposiums with an eye on redecorating, not renovating.
Now that we’ve reached the end of our competition year for 2009, it’s the time when many riders are thinking about their goals for 2010.
At the same time, our country is at a critical intersection where the U.S. Equestrian Federation is developing a system to support our High Performance riders heading into next year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.
So this Between Rounds column is aimed at every level of rider, whether you’re heading for the WEG selection trials or you’re trying to better yourself at training level, or anywhere in between.
Compared to many other equestrians, we live in a big country. Therefore, we have many challenges to overcome, especially in the way in which information and education are disseminated.
Many riders struggle to find their confidence as they progress their horses up the levels. They question if something is missing from their basics when they hit a stumbling block in training their horse. This is a healthy question to ask! It’s essential at times like this to find a trainer to work with over a longer period of time who can help the rider build that understanding and confidence.
As a rider migrates from clinic to clinic, symposium to symposium, often in earnest, to advance up the levels in dressage, I believe it’s critical that the rider remain clear about his foundation, if based in clear principals and good tutelage.
The rider’s foundation is essentially that starting point in his skill set that brings results, communicates to the horse, and allows for advancement. It’s important to approach learning opportunities as a means to expand the rider’s repertoire of tools, to expand his depth and understanding or feel.
Furthermore, it’s most important that a rider maintain a point of reference in his foundation rather than abandoning all basics for the sake of a clinician’s message.
This situation is similar, for lack of a better example, if you were to get input on your house. You may love your house, but perhaps you’re a bit tired of the furniture, the feeling it gives you as you walk into the front door. To be frank, it’s getting a bit boring. You want to upgrade your home’s interior, so you call an interior decorator or you get a friend’s advice to change the color of the walls, try different fabrics on the window trims, or adjust the placement of furniture in a new and energizing way.
While you can work on the interior nuances of your home in a relatively short time, it takes a much larger and longer commitment than a one- or two-day clinic to take some walls out and re-do its interior structure. You may be able to improve its atmosphere by focusing on the details alone, but you cannot give it an extreme makeover without giving a serious commitment of time.
The rider’s foundation is similar—consider it your training foundation. When you go to audit or participate in a clinic, try plugging the ideas into your system as they feel appropriate; plug the new concepts in only if they are aligned with the core beliefs of your riding system. See how the ideas fit and enhance what you had previously. Only apply that which is constructive toward a better response, more throughness in general, or an overall enhanced level of performance.
