The Price of Horses

"A horse, a horse; My Kingdom for a horse!"

Although King Richard's famous quote in the Shakespearean play is more about desperation than the actual price of a horse, the quote seems to embody our view of the modern-day price of horses.

The real-life, raw purchase price of a horse (with no parameters or filters set) varies from "free" to well over a million dollars (yes, for one horse).

But let me divulge some of the normal paramaters and costs for you, because I am sure you want to shoot me for giving you no information at all above, right?  Hold on to your seats......

I added up standard guidelines of the actual cost to "produce" a horse, because we have to have a basis for determining actual profit and loss.  Of course there are regional variations, but these are becoming more narrow in this economy.

Here is a "best-case" scenario of some of the costs if you are a person who breeds a mare, raises a baby, sells it and wants to break even.

Breeders, stop reading here, because if you read further, you will never breed another mare, run away screaming, and go panhandle on the interstate (it is more profitable and 'way less stressful, trust me).

And all you people who are complaining about what you have to pay for a horse, you are required to read all the way to the end...

The Raw Cost of Producing a Horse, broken out into ages:

Cost of Foal when it hits the ground (includes a portion of the purchase price of the mare <$10,000.00/8 foals>, stallion semen and regular breeding costs <$1800.00>, mare care for 18 months <$5591.00 includes 30 minutes of labor per day at $12.00 per hour>, vet care no emergencies, feet trimmed no shoes, etc. for both mare and baby)--

$9651.00

Cost of the foal bith to weaning at 6 months--  (includes feed, hay, shavings, feet trimmed, regular vet care, and mineral supplement, for both mare and baby)

$10,245.00

Cost of foal birth to 3 years old--  (includes only baby at this point-- feed, hay, shavings, feet trimmed, 30 minutes of labor a day, biannual shots from vet and annual dentist) Note: no professional training has been included in this price, and labor is VERY conservative at 30 minutes per day.

$26,275.00

Cost of horse, birth to 4 years old-- (above price, and with one year of training under saddle at $1500.00 per month, 2 schooling shows with trainer, and 4 rated shows with trainer)

$51,455.00

$51,455.00 after just one year of training and 6 shows. In Dressage, the horse would typically still be in Training Level, with maybe a test or two at First Level for a very talented horse.  And $51,455.00 is just barely breaking even if everything has gone perfectly and there are no extraneous costs in four years. Yeah, right.

I want you all to consider something.  The above calculations are raw and technical, and do not take anything that is intangible into consideration, such as bloodlines, breed, talent, temperament, health, etc.  It assumes NO health issues or injury, and let's face it, what horse lives for four years and never has an emergency call from the vet?

If we paid for everything that is put into a horse, very few of us would be able to afford one.  All along the way, people are willing to lose money (the cold, hard cash kind), in order to be able to "afford" a horse.

No wonder the asking price for a 10 year old talented Grand Prix horse is over $250,000.00. You do the math.

But maybe these calculations will make you understand why there is so much variation in price in horses.  When it comes time to sell your horse, the price is not generated by how much you have spent, but rather, what the market will bear for YOUR horse, with his particular set of circumstances at that point in his life.  I think with this in mind, buyers may appreciate a breeder's perspective a little more.  

Now here is a bare-bones cost calculations, without taking some indirect costs into account (like mare depreciation, a lesser quality stallion, pasture only, feed just to keep minimum weight, owner administered shots, minimal trimming, no labor figured in, no training, no showing, etc.) 

Cost at birth-- $5205.00

Cost at weaning (3 months)--$5451.00

Cost at 3 years old-- $10,137.00

Again, that price is barebones, and doesn't really reflect the time and effort put in (everyone's time is worth SOMETHING!) And who would want an untouched 3 year old that has had substandard care for his entire short life, much less pay $10,000.00+ for it?

The bottom line is, that if you are getting a pleasant, healthy horse that is ride-able for less than $50,000.00 you are getting a bargain.  If you are getting a horse that has a good temperament, solid basic dressage training, has been shown, and has fairly good gaits for less than $50K, you are getting much, much more than you "paid for". 

Conversely, an ill-tempered, untalented or badly trained horse (or even a horse that is just not suited to the kind of riding you want to do) is worth LESS than nothing.  Because at best, it will cost you more money and give you no pleasure, and at worst, it can kill you.  I am not kidding.  I am not exaggerating.

If you are having trouble believing me, do some honest calculations of your own.  I didn't even include farm and pasture management and maintenance, insurance, taxes, or salary for the farm owner/breeder.

Both categories--buyers AND sellers also need to understand that a horse puchase is like a car purchase...fully 90% of us will never recoup our investment in dollars.  Horses generally DEPRECIATE much like a car does; quickly at first, levelling off after a while, and settling into a minimal selling price as the horse ages and is ridden.  And gas, oil and tune-ups (feed, hay, and training) are never recouped.

Dressage Clinic Etiquette

The definition of a "dressage clinic" is a short-term opportunity to have an intense lesson or two from a trainer that you admire/respect who is not normally available to you.  This clinic should be in addition to your regular lessons with your regular trainer/instructor.  Ideally, it should recur several times per year, but it should NOT be the only help you get with your horse unless you are a successful trainer yourself (and if you are, you already know that you need regular help because no one can successfully train/maintain a horse on their own....even the top trainers in the world ride with someone--in most cases everyday, but that is a different topic).

A Host offers a clinic with a trainer/instructor for several reasons:
1. The trainer/instructor is a person who does not live in the immediate area, and is someone who the Host themselves would like to take a lesson(s) from, or already does take lessons from.
2. The Host would like to offset costs of their own education by bringing the clinician to their barn rather than travelling to the trainer's barn (often in another state, country or even continent)
3. The Host has a facility (or access to one) that is conducive to optimal training that other riders in the area may not have (a standard dressage arena with good footing, a covered arena, mirrors, lights, etc).

Right off the bat, let me dispel a myth--
In every single instance, the Host does not make money on the clinic, trust me.

The Host commits their time, energy, and money into getting the clinician there, which means paying at least some of the costs up front. Airplane travel, accommodations, transport costs, and food/drink for the clinician are NOT FREE. Further, the price that the clinician charges is a per day charge, not a per ride charge since they are giving up potential income from regular lessons at their own facility to be in your area.
Depending on the level of experience and popularity of the clinician the per day cost to the organizer for the clinic fee alone is typically between $800-2000.00.  And the clinician will only teach 8 hours per day, maximum.  So base price of a ride will be a minimum of $100.00, plus expenses (which vary widely, depending on the other costs listed).  All these indirect costs have to be included in the price of each ride, or the host loses money by subsidizing your ride.  Not only is that not fair, no one can afford to do that.

So, here is your Etiquette part:

If someone contacts you about riding in a clinic, get all the details from the beginning:
     The date of the clinic
     The name and bio of the clinician (if you don't already work with them)
     The details of the lessons (private, semi-private, work in hand, clinician rides your horse, longe
                     lesson for you, etc.)
     The price of a ride
     The price of auditing
     The price of stabling
     The deadline for accepting/declining
     Date of deposit
     Date of final payment
     Details about refunds, filling rides, waiting lists, auditing, videoing, concessions onsite, and
              anything else you can think of that will make your ride live up to your expectations

The second you accept an invitation to ride, you accept responsibility for payment in full.
If the host is pre-planning, meaning she is accepting tentative commitments prior to reserving the dates for the clinician, then she may accept a deposit, refundable up to the point that she actually reserves the dates and makes travel arrangements for the clinician.
If a deposit is required, make sure you send it within 24 hours of oral acceptance of the invitation.  Before you accept the invitation, make sure you understand the terms of the deposit (when the date will be confirmed, and the terms of refund, if any)
If the date is set already, and you confirm your intent to ride by any form (orally, email, phone, etc.), you are immediately responsible for full payment, and should mail or deliver the check within 24 hours.
If you should become unable to ride for any reason, you should contact the Host immediately, and ask if they have a waiting list.  If they do, let them know that you can't make it, and why, and ask them to contact their waiting list people to see if someone can ride in your place.  If this is successful, you should receive a refund (there may be a nominal fee to cover time spent processing your ride time and also replacing your ride).
If they have no one on the waiting list, then they may allow you to find someone to fill the ride.  Otherwise, you have to pay for the ride anyway.


If you are not willing to take this risk, do not sign up to ride in the clinic.  End of story.


Next up--etiquette when you arrive at the clinic

March and April Training for Wimbley

In mid-March, we recommenced with our training.  I started concentrating on building strength and reliability in the softer transitions, and started asking for more steps in the leg yielding.  I asked for more reaction in the down transitions, and could feel his back getting strong enough to do more sitting trot. 
He has been progressing in every aspect of his training at an increasing pace, and starting in the first week of April, I have been able to ask for more of the strength related exercises, such as a few steps of shoulder-in, transitions to the medium and collected trot, and a lengthening and shortening of the stride in canter.

April 18, Wimbley has had time off again for almost two weeks because Edie and I were both busy and then I had the flu, but when I rode him today, he was stellar, as usual.  He seems to gain strength and understanding of the work we are doing even when I don’t ride him! I was just going to take it easy and review with him, which I did, and his canter is a solid tempo with a good jump, he is light and responsive and reliable in his leads now.  He is understanding the lengthening of the trot and canter, and is really using his back and hocks correctly for a horse of his age and training in the half-halts.  A couple of the half-halts gave me the feeling that he will be quite willing to sit enough for piaffe when he is strong enough.  He is still adjustable and supple, and the lateral work went very well even into shoulder in on both reins and a bit of renvers and travers.  Mind you, I only ask for two or three strides in a very minimal renver and travers, but I can feel the increase in engagement, and a willingness to put his body in position for it.

Florida's Winter Weather

I am not usually one to complain about the weather. I know that (almost) everyone in New England and the Midwest long to spend the winter months on the horse show scene in Florida, whether it is Wellington, Orlando, Tampa, or Ocala (with Jacksonville sneaking in there, too).
Even though I am here year-round, I depend on our winter weather as much as anyone. It is not because I can't get anything done in the summer (I am used to the heat--kind of), but the show season doesn't adjust because we have crappy weather, and my seasonal students are only here from November through April.
There are two reasons that I will cancel lessons. Those are, wind and lightning. Lightning is fleeting (along with really heavy rain), and the lessons can be adjusted by a half hour or so to accomodate, so it is not usually a problem, and rarely occurs in the winter months anyway.
Wind is another story. I hate wind. Here in Florida it is usually on the cool side (this year on the cold side) when the wind blows more than 10 miles per hour....not counting hurricanes, but that is another story.
My point is (and yes, I am whining) that this year it has been cold and windy in the extreme. I have probably given up 1/4 of my lesson income this season, not to mention that my seasonal students are not getting the opportunity for advancing at the same rate as in years past.
It has been windy to the point that the students can't hear the instruction, and I am not one to use a megaphone. I could use the two-way systems, but the ones I have tried are affected by the wind, as well. Mind you, 8-10mph is okay, but we have had winds in excess of 15mph with higher gusts. And what is with these temps!?!?! LOL I feel like I am in Michigan on the banks on the Lake instead of the tropics.
Whew, I am finished with my vent.....anyone else care to share about the weather (good or bad) in your neck of the woods?

GEF Statement on Rollkur

*author's note--(This post was originally published at 9:30ish this morning--Feb. 9th, and in my haste to get to the lesson I had to teach, I gave credit for the statement to FEI, not the GEF--I apologize for this mistake)...I have edited the original to this......

I imagine that this will be (or already is) viral, but this decision deserves blog space and accolades from every corner of the world.
The GEF (German Equesrian Federation) has made its official statement against Rollkur (hyperflexion), and has not only stepped up to the plate on the competition front, but also in training and exhibition contexts.
Finally, BRAVO to Germany's highest competition authority.
Now FEI needs to solidify the stand and issue a statement as strong as the GEF--the GEF's statement is courageous, and even if FEI doesn't completely step forward, every other NGB (national governing body--USEF in the USA) needs to issue a statement of their own, reflecting the courage of the language in the GEF's statement, and in addition, needs to pressure the FEI to do so as well, if need be.
To our international judges and stewards (and trickling down to every national organization), now you have a mandate with teeth towards standing up for our horses, who cannot speak for themselves. Please take it upon yourselves to finally do so.

Here is the link to the article in Eurodressage (thank you, Astrid, for being our ace reporter!):

Eurodressage News

I don't have time right now, because I am due to give a lesson, but I will add links as I read more about this.

All comments are welcome here. :-)

Further information:
10:34pm, Feb. 9th--

Barnmice.com member Barbara F. has added an interview post with the Equine Canada CEO Akaash Maharaj concerning the GEF statement and what it means for Canada, including his comment on what the FEI should do to follow this.

My Kind of (Equine) Economic Stimulus Plan

The satirical essay below was sent to me via email by a horsey-friend of mine. I think it is priceless, and had to re-post it here, but I do not know who to give credit to. If anyone out there does know who wrote this priceless piece of advice to President Obama, please let me know and I will be happy to credit it here!

MEMO

TO: President Barack Obama

RE: Economic Recovery Stimulus Ideas

Mr. President, it has come to my attention that you's having some challenges with the economy. If I understand things correctly, we're in a recession, consumer confidence and spending are down, credit is tight, investors are spooked, we need renewable energy, and health care costs are through the roof. Trillions of dollars, not to mention our future, are at stake. Mr. President, I'm just a regular citizen, but I think I have a solution.

Give every American a horse.

My proposal may not make sense to you at first, but let me give you a little background. First of all, horses in the U.S. are a multi-billion dollar industry, and that's just at my house. I suggest you have your economic advisors do a little research on the spending around horse ownership. You'd be surprised, Mr. President.

Start by visiting the tack and clothing retailers like State Line or Dover...look at the variety of goods available there. Now take into account that every horse owner, especially if it's a woman, is buying not just one or two, but tons of these items. Believe me.

So, my thinking is that if you give every American a horse, starting when they reach the horse-receptive age of 10, you're going to do two things: boost consumer confidence, and boost spending immediately.

Horses make us feel good, and once Americans all own horses (at the government's expense, of course), they will logically fall into the pattern that every horse owner succumbs to: Accessorizing.

For starters, we need horse-care implements like buckets and muck rakes, hoofpicks and curry combs. And we need at least basic tack--halter, leadline, saddle, saddle pad, bridle and bit. But then the fun begins.

Zebra print leg wraps, Neon-bright fly masks, an assortment of sheets and blankets for all seasons; your lightweight sheet, your medium blanket, your heavy blanket. Then there is your stable sheet and your pasture sheet. Also your hoodie, and tail wrap items.

And that's just the clothing for the horse. Don't get me started on the clothing for the rider, even if he or she doesn't show. Since most Americans don't have a basic riding wardrobe, the stores would be swamped for jeans, boots, breeches, T-shirts, dozens of pairs of cute boot socks, helmets and the ubiquitous ball cap. Tell the retailers to get ready. It'll be Christmas all year long.

Now let's talk about support industries. In addition to the usual vet and farrier expenditures, people also give their horse chiropractic, massage and accupuncture, not to mention buying more beauty products for their horses than they do for themselves. All those professions and industries will benefit. And of course, there will be a big spike in hay and grain demand, so the farmers will be happy, too.

You see, that's the secret to jump-starting consumer spending through my stimulus package. People will spend money on their horses when they won't spend money on anything else.

But, your advisors might say, there's a catch. Aren't we paying the price, in global warming, because of the large number of livestock animals we currently have? They all produce methane!

Ah, Mr. President, here is the real beauty of this idea. When you introduce th Methane-Assisted Natural Unrefined Renewable Energy (M.A.N.U.R.E.) plan, you'll be a hero for coming up with an alternative, renewable, home grown source of clean energy. Just challenge the energy gurus to come up with a methane gas collection system that can harness all the natural resource produced by all those horses to power our cities. Talk about shovel-ready projects: M.A.N.U.R.E. fits the bill!

And you keep stressing how we need new industries for investment; well, under the M.A.N.U.R.E. plan you can sell Petroleum Offset Opportunity units to investors. By buying these units, investors can help us gradually convert from a petroleum-based economy to one based on horse P.O.O.

Health care costs would go down, too, as everyone cares for their horses.

You can give tax credits based on the amount of time people spend working, riding, and hanging out with their horses, which will automatically make them healthier. (Don't tell the docs, but most horse owners already get their own basic healthcare from their vet.)

One more thing: everyone is annoyed be these corporate CEOs and their big bonuses in a down economy. So give the executives, say, one horse for every $100,000.00 of bonus money they've received. Those bonuses will be plowed right back into the economy in no time.

Finally, because you, Mrs. O, and the girls are such role models , you can encourage us all by getting a pony for Sasha and Malia. It will teach them responsibility, help the First Lady plow the garden, and as a bonus: free fertilizer for the Rose Garden.

If you don't believe me that horse ownership stimulates spending, go ahead, Mr. President. Buy that pony for your girls. You'll see.

My Arabian Dressage Horse

This was my first serious dressage competition horse. She was a purebred Arabian mare, and for you Arab owners and lovers, she was an Ivanhoe Tsultan daughter out of a pure Crabbet mare. For those of you who are not familiar with Arab bloodlines, she had really good breeding for dressage.

She was lovely, and I had her for 14 years. I actually saw her for the first time two years before I bought her, and her initial trainer had her earmarked to be a western pleasure horse, and even had shown her a couple times in "maiden" western pleasure classes, with a bit of success, but he also was a good enough trainer that he followed the training scale principles, even though he had probably never heard of it.

But when I tried her, I knew she had the qualities I was looking for....she was forward, and calm, and naturally pretty balanced for an Arab. I was actually looking more for the breeding than what kind of training the horse had. She also had an awesome disposition. She was an amazing horse. She would go anywhere, preferred the company of humans over horses, was bonded to me wholeheartedly, she was great at shows, didn't mind being by herself, calm, trusting, willing, and had so much "try" in her, that I swear she would do anything.

This is the horse that I could let loose to graze and would stay around the house before we had fencing, looking through the windows every now and then to make sure we were still around; would lower her head for a small child to put the bridle on; knew when a person had a learning or physical disability and would adjust herself to accomodate that person in whatever way they needed; would puff up in the show arena and bang out a relaxed and flawless test after just almost getting run over by the 17hh fire-breathing-dragon in the warm-up ring (and best that ruddy-warmblooded-horse, just for good measure LOL); who would give true collection and self-carriage to a student, if she sensed that is what they were trying for, even if the aids were not quite there, but would absolutely not transition from walk to trot if she felt that the rider could not balance, even if they were giving the aids for that transition....I could go on and on. She was self-assured, but incredibly generous to her humans. And that is an inherent trait in Arabs. I love them for that. A well-trained Arab is the consummate amateur's mount. They are intelligent, and sensitive, and generous of nature. They can do anything pretty well, and some things they can do better than anyone. :-)

I still miss her. She was put down in 2004, just after the hurricanes (which she weathered with the grace and courage that made her who she was) due to complications from Cushings Disease, and she is buried in her front pasture.

Follow-up Thoughts

I love riding my horse. I just wanted to say that first.

I have been thinking a bit about the comments I received on the "whips" blog below. A couple of people commented that they agree with my post, but do not use whips/spurs on a daily basis because they do not need them. (Please read the comments--they are very good and very thoughtful) I see where they are coming from, but today, when i was riding my horse, I had kind of a lightbulb moment...not exactly the kind where you think "AHA! That is how it is done! or I feel it now! or I understand that point of theory now!" But a combination of all of that. When I was trying to explain why and how I use the whip/spurs in the post, I was clear in the explanation, but now I know it didn't go far enough into the theory behind the why and how (here is another level).

My horse is very responsive to my leg, but he is not explosive. That is a good thing because I DON'T want him explosive. I WANT him relaxed when I put my leg on him. I want his reaction to build smoothly and fairly quickly, but I don't want it to be "over-the-top", because that is always the result of tension. The whip (and/or spur) are used to indicate to him to shift to the "next gear" when he reaches the "RPMs" maximum of my leg aid....does that make sense? I don't WANT him to go into overdrive the second I put my leg on him...I want him to shift smoothly and effortlessly up and down--and for the record, horse gears don't necessarily mean just faster/slower, as we know. The whip and/or spur aids give me more adjustability in my horse. It brings the communication to an even higher level. That, in theory, is why spurs are mandatory at the FEI levels. I only wish that everyone learned, knew and practiced the CORRECT use of all the aids, natural and auxillary.

Competition Riding vs. riding for "fun"

There I go again...putting "fun" in quotations. Hey, for those of you that ride, you KNOW why that is! LOL For those of you that don't, riding is fun in the same way that a serious visit to the local gym is fun. It is hard work. Even when you aren't riding, horses are work; you clean the stall and paddock, you maintain the barn area, you groom the horse, you carry feed and hay and tack, etc.--it is physical (well, except for those of us that pay to have all that done for them). But even those of us that pay for all the extraneous physical work, there is no getting around the physical aspect of the riding itself. And all of you who don't ride, who are thinking "what do you mean, physical....the horse does all the work; you just sit there", I laugh hysterically, and then say, "let me give you a lesson sometime". (Seriously, I would love to....call me) But I digress.

In spite of the work, riding is exhilerating. It allows you to run faster, jump higher, and be more graceful than you ever thought possible. It allows you to dance, and allows for an unspoken yet deeply personal partnership with another species. It allows more than a communication--it is a connection and understanding that is more profound than anything else I have experienced.

If I sound like I am waxing poetic, well, so be it. It is the truth.

But this relationship does not come easily. It is like a marriage, in that it requires commitment, empathy, patience, forgiveness, flexibility, persistence, focus, firmness, gentleness, and understanding. And no one thing is more important than the other. They are all absolutely imperative. Some say that it is too bad that horses can't talk, but I am thinking it is a good thing. Not only are the 911 lines not overburdened with complaints of abuse because Silver didn't get his dinner at 5pm sharp, but seriously, it forces us to find a way to make ourselves understood on a deeper level than merely speaking louder and louder at our partner.
This is riding, whether you compete or not.

In my opinion, there is no such thing as "competition riding", but that phrase is a covert insult (and well-deserved) to people who take any means or trick necessary to get an "appearance" for the show-ring. This rarely works at all, and never works for long. Head-sets are a perfect example. There is no principle of good training/riding involved in repeatedly yanking on a bit or applying artificial devices (think drawreins, chambons, gogues, tie-downs, etc.) to get a horse to lower its head and neck and "tuck his nose". This doesn't address (and, in effect, detrimentally affects) the rest of the body. That is only one example. There is a very long list of others.

I believe the reason for the existence of horse shows is to exhibit correct training. It is not a place to find out how much you think you know, or to overface your horse to gauge how much you are lacking. It is a place to show off what you and your horse absolutely know and have talent for compared to an ideal standard. It is the recital....you have prepared your horse and yourself; you know the routine and the qualities behind it and the reasons for it so that will get you the best outcome possible that day. You are compared against the preparedness and talent of other horses/riders, so set yourself up for success.

Get the best instruction available to you, prepare your horse and yourself AT HOME, get it right consistently and solidly beforehand, and then go show what you know! That is when it is the most fun--notwithstanding all the additional work it is. LOL

Competition isn't for everyone, but I do believe it is important. It will develop goal-setting, sportsmanship, teamwork, organization, timing, scheduling, and time-management, in addition to the qualitites mentioned above in the fourth paragraph (about the relationship with your horse). This is important in life in general. If parents knew what life-skills could be learned from horses, they would be pushing their kids into quality lessons from the second that "I want a pony" is first uttered.

I am a better person for having horses in my life. I am more well-rounded, more worldly, more empathetic, more accepting, more confident, more fit, communicate better, and am more of a leader than I think I ever would have been without them. I am also a better learner, and a better teacher because of them. And I know how to love.

So, no matter what your age or circumstance, take a chance. Get out and learn to ride from a quality instructor, include competition at some point, and keep learning. Riding is a lifetime commitment, but it is a commitment I couldn't live without.

I just had a great ride on my horse, Bogart. Of course, all my rides on him are wonderful, but it has been over a month since I have ridden him. I did not take him to Alabama with me when I was teaching at Valley View. A friend/student/fellow instructor of mine leased him for the month while her young horse was in training with another friend/fellow instructor of mine. If it sounds like musical horses, it kind of was...but in a good way!



Franzi has a young horse that was being started under saddle for a couple months by his breeder, and Franzi was just about to bring him home. Sandy's horse is well-started and she has been showing him successfully at training and first levels for the past couple years, and was starting the serious lateral work with him. My horse, Bogart is a great schoolmaster, and knows all the lateral work...so this arrangement worked out very well. Franzi just had a baby (human) 7 months ago, and needed to get back into riding shape before her just-started horse came home. Sandy needed a horse to polish up on her aids for the lateral movements and to feel them on a finished horse. I needed to keep my horse in work for the month that I was giving lessons and clinics in the TAG (Tennessee/Alabama/Georgia) area. So it was a win-win situation for everyone.



It has been a very long time coming in my area, but I am grateful for the network of professionals that I am associated with. Sandy and Franzi are just two of the many fellow professionals that I work with on a freelance sort of relationship, both in Florida and in the TAG area...we cover each others' lessons if/when one of us is out of town; we consult with each other about horse or student challenges and issues; we share triumphs, both personal and professional; and we genuinely like each other. I have been espousing this philosophy for years, and now, more and more trainers/instructors are finally learning that we are all in this together, and it is much better to support each other than to gossip and backbite each other. There is enough work out there for all of us, and most important--the standard of instruction is finally starting to reach a higher level generally. I like to believe that this is all part of the fabric of advancing the quality of riding in general, and dressage specifically. And no matter where you are in your journey of riding, you always need lessons, you always need "eyes on the ground" at least part of the time, no matter how "good" or experienced a rider/trainer/instructor you are.



Fading (though not gone) are the days when one took lessons from the teenager next door because she had a horse and had won some ribbons at the local show. I hope that the economy doesn't allow this progress to be lost. It is very easy to "give lessons for some extra money" just because you own a horse, and the general public (read: moms and dads of little girls and boys who are clamoring for a pony) doesn't have a clue about how to go about finding a qualified instructor.

author's edit: Here is one way to find a qualified riding instructor-click on this link- http://www.riding-instructor.com/ and click on the link on the left of the page that says "find an instructor"--this is the American Riding Instructor Associations official website and list of certified riding instructors. Be sure to also click on the top tab that says "instructor certification" and then click on "certification levels", so that you get a clear picture of what you are getting in your potential instructor.
When you contact your potential instructor, be sure to ask lots of questions to make sure that they offer what you (your son or daughter) are looking for, and ask for the instructor's resume. Then set up an appointment to watch this instructor teach a lesson comparable to what you are looking for (beginner on school horse, beginner on own horse, inermediate on school horse, intermediate on own horse, etc.).

The biggest reason for that is that there is no licensing or certification requirement for "horse trainers" or "riding instructors" (although how this has escaped the claws of government has totally baffled me when almost everything else requires licensing and certification, if only for the revenue it generates for the various government agencies). The only basis of education proof we have is voluntary certification through many different entities. A few of the ones that I know of are the United States Dressage Federation, the American Riding Instructor Association, the Certified Horsemanship Association, and the Horsemanship Safety Association. I know there are many others, and it would be difficult at best for the parent who knows nothing about horses to even find out information about these entities, never mind wading through and deciphering the validity and scope of the certification.



I am certified in dressage through the highest level of the American Riding Instructor Association (ARIA), and in my opinion (and many others') it is the best general instructor certification that is available in the USA, and is recognized by many countries internationally as well. But how is the layperson supposed to know that? It sounds good, for sure, and it is! But again, how does the person that has no basis of knowledge know? It is a leap of faith, for sure.



But bottom line, certification IS A GOOD THING. It benefits the general public, and it benefits the instructor. It does give a certain level of confidence to the potential student/parent that the instructor has at least demonstrated a standard level of knowledge and the ability to communicate that knowledge to their students.

Next blog will be about competition vs. riding for "fun". Try to guess why I put it in quotation marks. :-)

Patience

I am good at compartmentalizing, and my patience is a perfect example of that. Let me explain.....
I have the patience of Job when it comes to training horses. I ask much, but accept any shred of correctness with lavish praise. But ask me to wait in line at the grocery store, and I seriously consider not eating dinner that night.
Explaining the minute details of what it means to be "in front of the leg" to a student may put me 'way behind in every other thing I have to do that day, and I will happily adjust my schedule, but having to deal with "customer service" over the phone for an issue with my computer will make me want to scream, and throw the computer in the pond.
So am I a patient person, or an impatient one?
I once took some film (you know, that stuff that you had to have developed when you took pictures with a camera from the dark ages?) in for said developing to a place that said "ONE HOUR PHOTO" right on the side of the building, and when the clerk took the film, he asked when I wanted the pictures back......and was surprised when I looked at him like he had three heads and said, "what do you mean?". He asked again if I wanted to come back "later" or tomorrow. I said, "look here, it says on the building 'one hour photo'...I am coming back in one hour. Patience is NOT my virtue".
But that isn't exactly true, because I DO have infinite patience for some things....just not for ALL things.
And what should be the limit to one's patience? There comes a point when it stops being patience and it becomes being taken advantage of. I have been taken advantage of a lot, and on many different levels. I try not to be taken advantage of more than once in any given way, but there again--when does it cross into cynicism, or general suspicion? But I digress......
I wonder what other people's definition of patience is?