Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I am reading the April issue of Dressage Today and really connected with an article by Pam Stone. If you get DT, the article can be found on page 18. Stone's article is about facing, and coming to terms with, "show fear." While I may have some butterflies when I show, that wasn't what really resonated with me. Instead, her title, "Get in There and Ride!" really hit home. When dealing with show fear, Stone says that her trainer instructed her with these words, "Now you get in there and you ride your horse!"
I had a pretty rough day at work on Monday. It was so tough that I called hubby while he was at work and sobbed and blubbered a bit until he suggested I go out to the barn. Wise words from a non-horsey hubby to a horse-crazy wife. I went to the barn, but I was feeling so bad that I didn't know if I really wanted to ride or not. Out of nowhere I was reminded of those words: get in there and ride your horse! With a show looming in just a few short days, I realized that more helpful words could not have been uttered. I saddled up and FOCUSED on riding Speedy G. I wasn't a passenger. I kept my heels down (sort of), I rode with my seat (mostly), and concentrated on putting his body where I wanted it to be. I've said this before ... dressage is very humbling, but it's also much more. It's a way to create balance in our personal lives, both in our physical bodies and in our spiritual and emotional well-being. After my ride, I felt tired in a good, take-a-deep-breath way, and my problems from the day seemed less a part of who I am. I was feeling re-balanced. I guess if all else fails, get in there and ride your horse! Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI am a lifelong rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010. Welcome to my dressage journey. About Speedy GSpeedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
About IzzyIzzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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