24/07/2024
๐๐จ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ฌโฆ
Well if you know me you know I do not like the judgement of others and I donโt believe by dimming someone elseโs brightness you can shine brighter but I do think there are SO many perspectives intertwined with what is happening surrounding the Olympics and the withdrawal of a firm favourite.
When I woke up and read the news yesterday my stomach literally sank. I felt let down, as I assume many of us did, but off the back of that Iโve had so many swirling thoughts and if you donโt like a long read, probably quit now.
I train very differently these days to the ways I did in years gone by, and I started thinking about why that was. So many reasons and so many stories, some that I think are very relevant to what has unfolded.
The first reason was definitely ignorance and normalising things that shouldnโt be normal, but when we know better we do betterโฆright???
Wellโฆthe second reason was also ignorance, I actually didnโt know that it was possible to train without having to get into constant arguments and โsee them throughโ, I was taught the same as many of us, donโt let the horse win, donโt let the horse get one over on you. I thought the learning happened once the argument was won.
And let me tell you, it was the horses that won those arguments that taught me the most and I luckily got a lot of those that forced me to change tac.
At the time that was stressful, why wasnโt it working??? Now Iโm eternally grateful because experiencing a way with less arguments made me realise how much I actually hated and dreaded the conflict, that I didnโt feel accomplished in โwinningโ at all, I just felt exhausted and that it was in fact possible to get (better) results without them.
Thirdly, pressure.
I saw a lot of other trainers getting results. Saddling and sitting on young horses for the first time on their first day there, walk, trot, canter, wondering why my training didnโt work well enough to get those results and how I too could wow the client with progress. I was even called incompetent by one of these trainers, so I tried to get quicker, because thatโs what people wanted most.
Over a decade later and Iโve learned some of the real tricks of that trade, Iโve heard of horses being run til they dropped to the ground, all four legs tied to each other, routine drugging, water boarding and thatโs just a few, now Iโm unfortunately no longer as shocked when something new pops up. Well, thatโs about when I quit simply trying to get quicker, because if thatโs what it takes, Iโm out.
Iโve been asked several times, have you ever pushed a horse further than you should have? The answer is yes.
But that got me thinking of why I pushed themโฆtimeframe and results, every. single. time.
Pressure that they werenโt progressing fast enough or sticking to timeframe, well horses donโt care about agenda it turns out, they like to stress me out by not meeting deadlines when the come into the office. The owner of an overwhelmed horse who needed more time and a slower pace once asked me โcanโt you just train twice a day and have the job completed in half the time??โ, of course, working double for the same rate. And so, now Iโm too slow for some.
Fourth, the wow factor.
I donโt sell for clients anymore either, one of the horses that came in had a major bolting issue, by major I mean the horse went into full panic mode and continued to run long after the rider was on the ground.
Once they were stuck in flight they just couldnโt get out. I spent months getting the horse calm and moving well, until it was decided the horse was probably too big and had knocked the owners confidence so they decided to sell. They wanted videos to share to prospective buyers and other professionals so I took them, warning that they were probably very underwhelming, a horse stretching, rhythmical and even through the gaits.
Sure enough the videos werenโt โexpressiveโ enough, the horse didnโt show enough โpizazzโ so it was requested we show some more โexpression.โ I refused to chase the horse and undo the trust Iโd spent so hard building so the owners gave it a whirlโฆthe horse repeatedly turned in to face them, dropping and bobbing his head, asking them to stop. And so we did. But correct, functional, fluid movement wasnโt what sold horses.
Lastly, from the perspective of someone in that lesson.
My horse developed a โcontact issueโ long before I got him, it had also been for the most part resolved by a kind rider who had taken him on before me but he was still very sensitive. During his continued education I started some lessons with a well known dressage rider also training under the elite.
After a few sessions it was decided I still didnโt have enough in my hand, the answer was to take more and drive forward.
Half way through a lesson he started stopping and propping, drive, drive, drive, I was told, donโt give, he must accept the hand.
I could feel the situation escalating and I knew where it would end yet in that moment I thought, this is what it takes to get to the top, what do I know? Iโm not competing at that level!
My horse went vertical before running backwards at speed, every spectator gasped audibly, and I know then that they too could feel the tension and knew what was going to happen way before it did.
I didnโt go back. But I didnโt get off when I should have either. I regret that but I was filled with such insecurity and doubt at the time. I also have not competed since.
And so I can understand more than one perspective - yet it doesnโt really resolve anything, knowing the why doesnโt necessarily make things better.
But there are problems most of us are guilty of having a part in. Since weโre bombarded with spectacles over the internet, anything else seems boring and so we too feed the flame.
And since video phones and the internet exists there is no escaping. But it seems like no one wins here, we can only hope that maybe itโs the horses in the end.
EDIT: I wasnโt expecting my experiences or thoughts to be of much interest to anyoneโฆand so Iโd just like to add a couple of things.
1. My heart sank watching the video. The โtrainingโ was not training and not productive or acceptable in ANY way. There was no communication and no understanding.
2. The culture I try and maintain is not one of judgement, rudeness or nastiness and so I just ask that if commenting please stay respectful and kind to each other, there is enough malice out there. Thanks! ๐
