tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.comments2022-11-08T10:17:39.883-05:00IRIDE dressageAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-35205227592734753702013-07-16T03:08:24.157-04:002013-07-16T03:08:24.157-04:00Super blog - why not come and post it at Haynet an...Super blog - why not come and post it at Haynet an equine blogging network for more to follow? Come and visit www.hay-net.co.ukEquine Mumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08745158633433533850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-69020505294639790582012-12-20T21:19:55.004-05:002012-12-20T21:19:55.004-05:00Thanks for the comment, BeBe! You are right. I o...Thanks for the comment, BeBe! You are right. I often tell my eventing students that jumping is dressage with obstacles. :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-45548930099541324472012-12-20T10:50:05.646-05:002012-12-20T10:50:05.646-05:00You said it. I too HATE when people say that...dr...You said it. I too HATE when people say that...dressage is a sport - it is taking flat work and basic training and manipulating it into a pattern etc. So your horse hates flat work? %99 of jumping is flatwork....people are funny..Boss Mare Eventinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08039910692009593158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-82777888978358777162012-08-31T13:16:16.003-04:002012-08-31T13:16:16.003-04:00I agree, Nwosu. That is why I incorporated the pr...I agree, Nwosu. That is why I incorporated the price of good training into the price of the horse. :-)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-17835123595559938182012-08-30T02:26:22.296-04:002012-08-30T02:26:22.296-04:00If you want to own dressage horses then you are go...If you want to own dressage horses then you are going to need dressage horse trainers. The reason for this is that there are so many different parts of the dressage horse trainers art that the rider and horse must master and be aware of.Nwosu Desmondhttp://www.dressagehorsetrainers.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-5695407336035732052012-04-29T21:26:12.275-04:002012-04-29T21:26:12.275-04:00Thanks for postng, Dressage Nomad! I love auditin...Thanks for postng, Dressage Nomad! I love auditing, too! That is cool that you blog your notes--is it public or private? I think writing them down also helps cement them in my memory, but I am not a good note-taker! LOLAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-9132566834093401452012-04-27T09:09:14.587-04:002012-04-27T09:09:14.587-04:00I loooooove auditing clinics...I just have to remi...I loooooove auditing clinics...I just have to remind myself to take notes and not just watch (I generally take a lot of notes, because I have a terrible memory). I find it helps to blog my notes afterwards too, especially since I can tag the posts and go through later to look at everything I've blogged about shoulder in or leg yielding.Dressage Nomadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03547664899091391963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-54534479678173238072012-04-20T14:51:38.439-04:002012-04-20T14:51:38.439-04:00That is excellent, Junneebee! Thanks for commenti...That is excellent, Junneebee! Thanks for commenting. I will be in Rome, GA next week teaching a dressage clinic myself, then riding in a Henk van Bergen clinic here in Florida on April 29-May 1, so I won't be in the area to ride in or audit the two clinics you mention. But I have audited a clinic with Lilo Fore (many moons ago), and she is fabulous! And I would love to attend one with Guenther as well--they are both top-quality instructors! Thanks for the info, and I will certainly pass it on to my clinic participants in Rome!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-59671197758633117892012-04-20T07:07:14.456-04:002012-04-20T07:07:14.456-04:00Okay, one more comment. Lilo Fore is going to be a...Okay, one more comment. Lilo Fore is going to be at Shannondale Farm in Milton, GA, for the USDF Adult Clinic May 5-6 (see usdf for tix). Then Guenter Seidel will also be at Shanondale May 12-13 (see gdcta.org for tix). I am not affiliated with Shannondale in any way. I just happen to be auditing both clinics. Who else will be there?JuneeBeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110910454503821354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-31103357378510449552012-04-20T06:59:27.677-04:002012-04-20T06:59:27.677-04:00I totally agree that auditing is very valuable and...I totally agree that auditing is very valuable and frequently available. I make an effort to audit clinics as often as possible. Not owning a horse right now I can't ride in the clinics but even when I had a horse I tried to audit once before committing my money to ride with someone new. We are fortunate in this area (ATL Metro) to have many, many good clinicians visiting on a regular basis. I encourage all of my friends to audit rather than jump right into a clinic. It saves a lot of money and often they will find out they will work well, or not, with an instructor and can ride with him/her the next time they are in town.JuneeBeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110910454503821354noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-70343539543227221482012-02-09T23:52:04.223-05:002012-02-09T23:52:04.223-05:00You are so right! Like I said before here in the ...You are so right! Like I said before here in the comments, I never said you have to give up EVERYTHING; I only said you have to be willing to give up anything. That means you have to set your priority. <br />And let me say here that not everyone that rides has to be serious about riding! If you (and I have been using "you" in the royal sense of the word) want to be a recreational rider, that is fine! <br />But so many people complain that they WANT to be a serious rider, BUT.......and then the excuses come. That is what I was ferreting out of people.... "Are you really a serious rider, or do you just think you might someday, maybe, kind of, want to be a serious rider; but not really......" <br />That is all I was asking, and I was really just asking the Universe; you know, food for thought. I am glad it ignited such feedback!! Thank you all for keeping it real! I love you guys! I wonder what kind of passion my next blog post will bring? LOLAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-35970019543209214832012-02-09T22:45:49.166-05:002012-02-09T22:45:49.166-05:00Mary, I think what you are saying is so very true....Mary, I think what you are saying is so very true. BUT, I also think what you may be omitting is that if a rider sets goals, they must be willing to sacrifice to achieve that goal. It doesn't mean that you have to give up everything in your life and ride 5-6 days/week. It does mean that you should forgo some luxuries in order to achieve the goals you set for yourself and your horse. If you can't, then maybe you should re-assess your goals. When I have to work more in order to support my habit/hobby (my 2 wonderful mares)I have to re-assess the goals I have set. Riding and training horses is an ongoing compromise. When a horse is lame (and it will happen to some degree at some time in a horses life), we have to look at our plans and figure out what else we can do that does not involve riding. There is a lot to be said for ground work!<br />Additionally, we pay our instructors for advise. If a rider is not willing to take that advise, there is a serious problem. It is a waste of everyone's time if your instructor gives you homework and you don't work with your horse until your next lesson.<br />Even as an amateur rider I get people asking me if they can ride my horse or if I can teach them how to ride. I try not to laugh when I ask them what kind of riding experience they have. If they pass the initial verbal pre-qualifications and get to come to the barn with the intent to ride, and they show up in tennis-shoes, I can't help but laugh out loud. Most of the time I simply tell them that my horses are not suited for beginners or are in competition training and I am the only one that rides them other than my trainer. But one time, I did let someone sit on my horse that lied and said they knew how to ride. As soon as my very well trained mare started to trot her nice big dressage trot, they freaked out and said she was trying to throw them. HE HE HE HE. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-89041198023923109812012-02-08T11:14:09.161-05:002012-02-08T11:14:09.161-05:00Awesome! Thanks for the link! I hope everyone wa...Awesome! Thanks for the link! I hope everyone watches it....I have definitely found inspiration in it as well! Thanks to Schleese Saddlery for making the video, too!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-61220393553466320432012-02-08T10:56:39.609-05:002012-02-08T10:56:39.609-05:00Thanks Mary, talking about goals, I just found min...Thanks Mary, talking about goals, I just found mine:)<br />delightful<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pEIVkQub2s&feature=share<br />-Anja-Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-68283877097389233262012-02-08T08:33:16.313-05:002012-02-08T08:33:16.313-05:00Dear Anja,
Thank you for reading my blog! Your En...Dear Anja,<br /><br />Thank you for reading my blog! Your English is admirable.<br /><br />Not that it is for me to judge, but I would say you are very serious about your riding! It is all about balancing your life at the moment, with your goals in the same time frame. You have "paid your dues", as we say in America, by what you have achieved to this point, and from this point forward you seem to be doing what it takes to maintain your goal-level. Does that make sense?<br /><br />I am giggling at your comment about the change in your husband's complaints from riding too much to not riding enough to maintain a good mood---my husband also has complained about this in the past when I have had to adjust my life (several times) to teach more than ride, or to concentrate on some other aspect of the business, because I am in a better mood when I ride, as well!<br /><br />This essay was more targeted at the person who claims they want to be good rider, and yet thinks they can do it recreationally, or intermittently, or when there is nothing better to do.<br /><br />The great American writer said it best when he said:<br /><br />“Riding a horse is not a gentle hobby, to be picked up and laid down like a game of solitaire. It is a grand passion. It seizes a person whole and once it has done so, he will have to accept that his life will be radically changed.” <br /><br />― Ralph Waldo Emerson<br /><br />I would love to hear more about your horses, Anja! Thanks again for reading the blog, and for your comment!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-50924414808341399592012-02-08T06:12:36.881-05:002012-02-08T06:12:36.881-05:00Oh sorry this is who I am ( comment above)
http://...Oh sorry this is who I am ( comment above)<br />http://www.northern-wave.com/blog_fi/<br />-Anja-Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-24835862268529492112012-02-08T06:06:24.992-05:002012-02-08T06:06:24.992-05:00Hi Mary,
Lovely comments in here: makes me in good...Hi Mary,<br />Lovely comments in here: makes me in good mood to read this:) <br />Firstly I do apologise my bad english, but I cannot help wondering; what level of seriousness with riding I could be clasified?<br />I have been around horses for over 40 years now,as a hobby first and later trough equestrian education combined with practical learning have owned all together about 50 horses( Used to run a riding school).<br />Now I work in other industry have sold <br />(& sent some of my old horsefriends to horsey heaven),all but two.<br /><br />I have them on full livery away from home, and first time for years I can be 'selfish' and I truly enjoy riding with no preassure to show, or compete.<br /><br />I have young unstarted horse, who will hopefully last me with rest of my life, and my trusted old dressage mare to ride now. What a freedom:)<br /><br />Funniest thing of all, my dear old husband, who all these years was complaining, how I put horses interests in front of his, is now naggin at me not riding enough! ( riding makes me be in better mood) <br /><br />No I don't think I am serious rider, but still enjoying this grazy old sport.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-47793244452082094542012-02-07T20:46:04.737-05:002012-02-07T20:46:04.737-05:00Thanks, Em!
LOL--I know, right? (about the trail...Thanks, Em! <br />LOL--I know, right? (about the trail ride calls)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-31143005185695143402012-02-07T20:44:36.514-05:002012-02-07T20:44:36.514-05:00Dear conny,
Super! It sounds like you are on an ...Dear conny,<br /><br />Super! It sounds like you are on an amazing journey. I understand what you are saying, that a lot of people think you are being selfish. It doesn't matter at what point in your life you found dressage, you are NOT being selfish, and kudos to you for not letting them make you feel that way! <br />It sounds like you are on solid ground in your plan for your riding. It takes a lot of willpower and clarity of purpose to not get sucked into buying your own horse until (or if) you are ready, and it sounds like you are doing what is exactly right for you. <br />It also sounds like you have a great instructor that can support you and doesn't try to manipulate you into straying from your path. You are lucky (and wise) to have found her.<br />Thank you for reading my blog! Good luck on your journey.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-47760607619956915502012-02-07T19:51:16.137-05:002012-02-07T19:51:16.137-05:00Great post!
I personally would count myself as a ...Great post! <br />I personally would count myself as a serious rider. I started late in life (early thirties) and have "advanced" to 4-5 times riding, 2 of them in a lesson each week. I lease 2 different horses that allow me to work on different things. I do not dream of showing, my goal is to become efficient enough to hop on any horse and be comfortable and to master the (dressage) training scale. Right now (3 years into my journey) I am riding the old schoolmasters. After every lesson I am part exhilarated and part exhausted. I am always learning new things (thanks to an awesome teacher), have “aha” moments but also realize that there is so much more to learn. <br />As my better half can attest, I am willing to give up a lot, just to get an extra hour of riding in to get the elusive right lead canter (or whatever it is I am working on). I have also flirted with the thought of getting my own horse, but decided to forego it for more lessons on different horses to learn. I think fear plays a role in this decision against owning, as being a horse owner involves so much more than just riding. I have had the advantage of working with a true horsewoman who believed in groundwork, understanding the horse, its biology, ailments and safe handling and partly because of that I am very aware what goes into true horsemanship. <br />I know one day “the horse will find me”, as my former teacher always said and when this happens, I will be ready. Having an animal give you trust, the human needs to earn it. I personally think I need to be prepared better to know what is right and wrong. Errors will still happen, but a basis needs to be there. <br />I agree it is also important to have a true trusting relationship with your teacher. Not just with regards to teaching riding skills, but also that both student and teacher know where the comfort zones are and what is appropriate. <br />One last but very important thing is to not be deterred by others. My starting riding late in life has caught a lot of my friends and family off guard, hoping I would grow out of it. I have been called selfish, not everyone understands why I am willing to give up xyz [fill in any social engagement] for another hour on the horse and it is hard to find a balance. However, I have learned, an hour with either one of my lease horses calms me, grounds me and makes me happy. In the end, that is worth it to me.connyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11570839490645711972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-77019373005557397342012-02-07T18:44:23.364-05:002012-02-07T18:44:23.364-05:00Dear net,
I admire you for giving up riding and ...Dear net, <br /><br />I admire you for giving up riding and horses to care for your mom in some time period that came before. That is exactly as it should be. And now, it seems that you can and are returning to being serious about riding. Kudos! You have balanced your life to work for you (and you for it).<br /><br />I never said you have to give up EVERYTHING. I just said you have to be willing to give up anything...that simply means where you place horses in your order of priority corresponds to what your goals for your riding are at this time in your life. It seems as if you are a very tenacious person, and based on that, I see that you will achieve whatever you set out to do. Have fun along the way!<br /><br />I also don't see how you came to the conclusion that my essay defined you as not serious...by your description, it seems as if you have organized your life (including your relationship with your mom) to allow you to be serious. <br /><br />You should be celebrating the fact that you are going for it against what seem like pretty big obstacles, and that makes you the definition of serious!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03548983935563081315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-66380738316831144412012-02-07T13:18:32.116-05:002012-02-07T13:18:32.116-05:00I don't think it's fair to say you will do...I don't think it's fair to say you will do ANYTHING and give up ANYTHING for the sake of the horses. To me that doesn't define "serious."<br /><br />The one thing I'm not willing to give up for horses is ensuring my mom has decent medical care and a safe place to live as she ages. Because of that, I gave up horses for years (and regularly cried about it!) so I could save up and put myself in a position to have horses and take care of her. But I wouldn't give up caring for her for horses. Period.<br /><br />Under your definition, that counts as not serious, but I still ride 5-6 times a week on a bad week when my asthma keeps me from riding - and many more (two horses, specifically so I can have more saddle time) on other days. I've given up social life for the most part and the luxury of fun trips all the time, clothing I might want, etc. I've given up the comfort and joy of living alone in order to have my mom in the same house and horses out the back door. But even though horses are my one driving passion, some things are still worth more.<br /><br />I try to get at least 10 hours of saddle time in a week right now, but am looking to get a third horse or lease one and try to increase that to 15 come spring. I ride with my instructor for two lessons a week, ride with a biomechanics clinician twice a month typically, and take clinics with other instructors who fit with my training as much as possible. I get video of most of my rides so I can compare what I felt with what I actually did/see and improve in between lessons. I watch all the dressageI can, read all I can, compare and contrast ideas. I don't know any way in which I would not be considered a serious (non-pro) rider except by your definition.Nethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08817230186352688525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-55796337469270180942012-02-07T12:22:12.122-05:002012-02-07T12:22:12.122-05:00Beautifully said, Mary, and thank you! It is so im...Beautifully said, Mary, and thank you! It is so important for professionals to guide riders through the process - whatever the process is! Thank you for stating this so clearly. I'm going to print it out and hand it out to several students this week! <br />Keep up the great work,<br />Emily<br />P.S. I get those "borrow your horses for a trail ride" calls... every summer!Emily Wigleyhttp://www.fishbowlfarm.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-82722943592047560042011-10-06T13:42:38.516-04:002011-10-06T13:42:38.516-04:00It depends how the whip is used. If it is used how...It depends how the whip is used. If it is used how the jockeys use them then yes they should as that is just cruel, on the other hand, if they are being used as genuine people then no. If a horse is pushing its luck, one little tap with the whip will make the horse come back to behaving itself. it does not to be constantly hit, nor hit hard.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4024279610973912718.post-56239775554522338642011-08-17T21:12:42.538-04:002011-08-17T21:12:42.538-04:00Hey! I like your blog a lot!! I am now following!!...Hey! I like your blog a lot!! I am now following!! Would appreciate if you could give my Anti Rollkur blog a check out here wwww.udexandalice.blogspot.com to help stop rollkur!! My rollkur recovery horses story!! Once again, you have lovely writing!! xxMaryAlice V. Liskahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11568148353475786904noreply@blogger.com