06/28/2025
“Recently, I was working with my horse, Pio, on collected canter in preparation for canter pirouettes. Over and over again, as I asked for more collection, Pio would break from the canter into the trot. Frustrated, I found myself trying harder: adding more aids, pumping my seat, using more hand. The harder I worked, the worse it became.
After a particularly humbling ride, I turned to some of my favorite training videos for insight and found myself rewatching Patrick Kittel schooling canter pirouettes. One thing stood out to me like never before: he simply sat still and trusted. His body stayed quiet, his seat soft but steady, and his hands still. It was an elegant conversation, not a wrestling match. His horse responded with balance, lightness, and self-carriage.
And it hit me: I wasn’t trusting Pio. I was over-aiding, over-managing, trying to ‘fix’ things instead of giving him the space to find his own balance. I realized that what I thought was ‘helping’ was actually throwing him off. My micromanaging wasn’t solving the problem; it was creating it…”
What lessons in the saddle can apply to your life and career. Lots of them! USDF is excited to launch our new exclusive series “Bridle & Boardroom” from adult amateur rider Vicki Mayo. As the CEO & founder of The TouchPoint Solution, in this monthly column, she reflects where the lessons learned in the arena mirror the challenges of leadership.
The first installment focuses on trust – when do you jump in to manage things, and when do you trust your team or partner to find their own way? Read on here: https://yourdressage.org/2025/06/06/bridle-boardroom-cantering-on-the-spot-a-lesson-in-trust/
Photo by Ashton Kingsley/AJSK Photography
