is the main focus of mine as I work with my clients and what I look for when I’m judging. I have large dreams, they may not all come true and I may never be famous which isn’t what is important to me. What is important, is that I know that I will have imparted and shared my passion, love and never ending, growing knowledge of horses with them, so they can continue to pay it forward into the equestrian community, and community at large.
This topic came to mind as I finished up late Sunday evening, after having judged earlier in the day at Carol Anne Hasslacher’s Hidden Haven Show and lessons with Glenda, Terumi and Simone.
As usual, Carol Anne was extremely organized and had a great turnout, she does such a lovely job. And we were all blessed with slightly overcast, cool day. I judged her second ring which is for the youngest and least experienced riders and horses. I enjoy seeing the future of our sport, and believe in encouraging, instilling and rewarding good horsemanship and sportsmanship skills right from the beginning. This is were it starts and can end if we skip steps and rush. I look forward to being back again at the end of the season, to see how all the riders and horses have progressed and improved.
Glenda came to me having some riding experience but was missing lots of hands on experience with horses, as the place she rode previously, would bring her a tacked up horse and then take it away after her lesson. When she inquired to be able to groom him/her, she was rebuked. This shocks me!
Jumping right in when she came to my barn, she started by just spending time in the barn, around the horses, cleaning stalls, feeding, grooming, etc. So much knowledge is gain out of the saddle that helps you when you are in the saddle.
She has channeled that knowledge and her truehearted focus when riding to bring about steady improvement in each of her lessons. She and Fletcher are really becoming a quality team. He is such a good teacher for her, and she is a good student, with a focus on being his partner and improving for him, not just relying on him to do it all for her.
I look at the horse even when I’m schooling a rider and/or judging equitation, because I can tell by their expression, attitude and performance if the rider is helping or hindering them. I’m a sucker for a bright, keen expression on a horse when doing his/her job, and as a horseman, I structure and tailor each horse and rider’s program to bring this out.
Happily, long time students, Terumi and her daugther, Simone, are able to continue this, even though they keep their horses at their home now. This makes me so proud, they do all the day to day care, keeps up their training at home & they couldn’t look better!
They trailer in for lessons when I can’t make it over to their place, which is what they did this past Sunday. To think how far they have both come, and seeing Terumi drive off in her big diesel truck, hauling a trailer full of happy horses, was a icing on the cake for me after a outstanding lesson. I had them warm their mounts up on the flat on their own, w/o specific directions from me, just critique and compliment, here and there. It’s important I can see what they are doing at home when I’m not there to watch, though they tell me, I’m always in their head! LOL
Shelby French’s article in COTH this past week touches on the topic of encouraging true horsemanship beautifully and eloquently. I hadn’t had a chance to read it until I was settling in for the evening on Sunday. It was quite serendipitous.
“The first rule of good horsemanship, or the definition of horseman/woman, is the love of horses.” -GHM
