11/01/2025
Amen. I've owned some of the best horses one could hope to have in their repertoire. Trail horses. Safe, calm, gentle for any scared beginner to get on and be safe in the woods at any time of day, no matter what they ran across or whatever jumped out at them, no matter the terrain or unpredictable weather Florida dropped on them. Then, also go on to win multiple buckle series for me as a rider, win buckle series for lesson Kids, win saddles, win obstacle challenges, go and compete at state 4h championships and win for lessons kids.. simply amazing horses. To create these types of horses has been a challenge and privilege and I am proud to contribute to the horse industry and continue to do the fine and wonderful work of starting young horses right, fixing "problem" horses and rejects to make solid, honest, safe citizens because that's what we really want in the everyday horse world, isn't it?
One of the Most Offensive Things a Client Ever Told Me.
It is the hallmark of being professional that often times, you have to bite your tongue, or be calm and quiet in the face of inappropriate behaviour. Thankfully, for the last two years, the folks I have been lucky to work with and work for, have enabled me to be 100% myself. And even solicit my total honest, and unmasked self. They call THAT professional, not the masked politeness that often befalls us all in a working setting.
But before I got that lucky, I was once sitting on a zoom with someone who said something that for me- was wildly, wildly offensive -despite the fact they meant it with good intentions.
"I booked with you because I kept wondering why this guy who appeared to know so much about training, riding and biomechanics, chose to just trail ride."
Framed, of course, in the common mainstream assumption that those that can't do much with horses, trail ride. Or, that lower level horses trail ride. Or that preparing for a trail ride is somehow a lowly endeavour.
I spent about 12 years working in trail riding for the public environments. At various different levels. One employer I had used to only "rescue" horses, meaning not spend more than 1000€ on a horse which in Spain only buys you problem horses. Another would drop a minimum 8000€ on well bred youngsters. The latter once lamented that when they visited breeders and mentioned they run a trail riding outfit, would be shown the horses in the back, with weak spines, minimal bone, poor head set. And she would instead insist on the quality of breeding that they hold Dressage horses in regard for, because her horses work harder and in greater demand than any sport horse could dream of.
What this client said was offensive to me, because they were an intelligent, talented and kind-hearted person making an enormous difference in their local community with advanced, empathic training. And yet, they demonstrated a profound prejudice and ignorance about one of the most difficult jobs you can ever ask a horse to do.
Trail Riding a fit, properly prepared, happy and aware horse is one of the highest expressions of quality training in my humble opinion. Requiring them to be as fit as a sport horse. As calm as a paddock puff. Adaptable as a Police Horse. As agile as a Working Equitation mount. As powerful as an Eventer. As collected as a Dressage horse. Yet be able to do all this with both connection to their rider and independence in their skills, while their rider relaxes and takes in the scenery.
Some of the most impressive feats of training I have ever seen, have been out on the mountain, in the forest.
Not in the arena.
