El Sueno - Wrap Up

Some final thoughts … (finally)

I have learned that taking the time to watch other riders do their tests is an excellent way to learn. At one-day shows, I simply don’t have time to hang around and watch because I usually have a two-hour drive back home. Sitting around for several hours means getting home after dinner. At two-day shows however, I have nothing but time to sit around and watch, and I did!

Very lovely horse and rider

Here are a few things that I noticed, realized, or decided:

Observing from A offers a completely different perspective. You can really check for straightness and accuracy. Straightness and forwardness is hard for all horses, not just the low level ones.

Watching from A gives you a great view.

The best riders have a really solid core. Their posture is strong and straight. They ride very uphill themselves with bent elbows and straight backs. You can quite easily tell that they are riding from a deep seat that is maintained by excellent core strength.

On the other hand, there are many struggling riders out there, and they aren't necessarily the Intro or Training Level riders. I don’t point this out to be catty, only to illustrate that you don’t have to be perfect to move on. I also realized that I don’t look out of place out there. While I am certainly not the perfect rider, I do have a decent seat that is getting better and better. 

Solid core

Everyone else worries just as much as I do about failing and having a bad day. I also noticed that even the very best riders appreciate an encouraging word and positive feedback when they finish. I enjoyed calling out, have a good ride, and telling a rider they had ridden a really nice test. It was fun to see them genuinely smile and say thanks.

Last words of encouragement from groom and coach

Which brings me to this: I am no longer star struck. Really watching horse and rider teams ride all the levels from Introductory through the Grand Prix has shown me that it’s all about relaxation, rhythm, contact, and the rest of the training pyramid. Twice I watched Grand Prix teams put in pretty dismal rides. I felt really bad for the riders because I know both were expecting more, but even I could see their horses were struggling with rhythm and collection. The piaffe and passage just weren’t happening that day.

I also noticed that all of the upper level movements are related to what horses at the lowest levels are learning. I can see how mastery at each level prepares the horse for the next level. Those upper level movements no longer look like magic tricks to me because really, all of the horses are just walking, trotting, and cantering. There’s no magic involved. Looking behind the curtain reveals that you don’t have to be a wizard to ride Grand Prix. What a liberating concept: anyone who works hard enough can get there. Even me!

Fancy, yes, but it's still just a canter!

After watching a number of First Level tests, I decided that First Level is looking really doable. I don’t think we ought to run off and start showing at that level quite yet, but I can see that if we start adding a few elements to our daily work, Speedy and I might think about showing First Level, Test 1 at a schooling show in February.

It's hard to make a gray shiny, but here is a soon-to-be First Level horse!

If you don’t show dressage (yet), but really would like to, I urge you to get out there and go watch some shows. I hear about Dressage Queens all the time, but to be honest, I haven’t met any while out showing. What I have met is a lot of nice women (and a few men) who are journeying along the same road that I am. Come and join us!

No Dressage Queens here!