Dark Horse Dressage

10/09/2023

There’s a difference between a rider and a trainer. I’m not talking about the difference between an AA and a Pro. A “rider” is someone who rides the horse, doing what the horse already knows. Certainly you can be a good rider or not so good. And you can even be a Grand Prix “rider.” And that’s nothing to sneeze at! Learning to be a really good rider is a huge accomplishment. You keep the horse where they are in their training. Hopefully through good riding you keep them fit, happy, confident, keep their minds and bodies sound. All wonderful things.

A “trainer” is different, though. A trainer is able to assess a horse, and come up with a path to improve the way the horse goes and then hopefully teach the horse new things. A trainer needs a very inquisitive mind, needs to be bold enough to push the envelope sometimes, and needs enough grit to work through the inevitable mistakes that will arise. Mistakes are no fun, especially when you’re on a 1200 lb animal, who might tell you that you made a big one 😳 But there’s no learning without mistakes. And as a trainer - that’s your job. Your horse is going to have to learn new things from you. New movements, yes, but also new concepts (that we often call “the basics”) that really change the way they use their body.

Are people just naturally “riders” or “trainers?” Sometimes. I’ve met some young kids who just intuitively wanted to train their horse, and not just ride him. But I’ve also met plenty of people who were “riders” and over time became very effective “trainers.”

Want to be more of a trainer? Learn to assess a horse’s strengths and weaknesses. Learn when to push and when to just cruise for a while. What do you do when you run into a problem that’s tricky or one you didn’t expect? All of these can be learned, mostly from horses who will teach you but hopefully from an educated and patient trainer who has run into whatever problem you’re having many times before. That’s why great trainers still work with another trainer themselves. Always more to learn. Always a new problem to solve, and no single person has all the answers. I’m so grateful to all the trainers who helped and are still helping me learn!!

10/08/2023

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

*thank you to whoever wrote this! Not my words, but certainly a shared sentiment!

10/07/2023

10/03/2023

“I was scared today.

I was scared to get on, scared to walk out the yard because I had a bad ride the day before. One bad ride, and it made me scared.

I didn’t know why. I’ve had 1000 bad rides. I’ve had 1000 falls. I’ve broken bones and bruised my pride on countless occasions, but today I was scared.

Why? Because confidence is fragile. It takes months and years to build and seconds to lose and yet we are so careless with it.

When we get on a horse, we wear a hat to protect our head. We wear body protectors, gloves, boots...

We pay so much attention to protecting ourselves physically, we forget that our minds are not invincible, and our confidence certainly is not.

Your bank of confidence needs regular deposits, not just from others... but from you. Self confidence is the most valuable currency in life.

When you go to get on, and you hesitate, you falter and you start to ask yourself “can I do this?”, chances are, your account is almost empty.

Every time you laugh and say “oh no, I’m no good” or “so and so is 10x better than me”, you make a withdrawal from that account, and before you know it, your account is empty and you’re scared to get on.

But every time you say “I’m really pleased with how that went” or “I think I rode that really well”, your balance increases.

We need to learn to give ourselves a break, pat ourselves on the back and allow ourselves to feel proud of where we are - after all, most of the time we’ve worked bloody hard to get there!

Recognising your strengths is just as important as recognising your weaknesses. Never allow yourself or anyone else to empty that account.

Confidence is valuable, don’t bankrupt yourself.”

Author- cromwellandlucy

10/01/2023

The Schedule of Growth Plate Conversion to Bone.
The process of growth plates converting to bone goes from the bottom of the animal up.

•The growth plate at the top of the coffin bone, the most distal bone of the limb, is fused at birth. This means it gets no taller after birth but does get larger around, through another mechanism. After that the growth plates fuse as follows:
• Short pastern - top and bottom between birth and 6 months.
• Long pastern - top and bottom between 6 months and one year.
• Cannon bone - top and bottom between 8 months and 1.5 years
• Small bones of the knee - top and bottom of each, between 1.5 and 2.5 years
• Bottom of radius-ulna - between 2 and 2.5 years
• Weight-bearing portion of glenoid notch at top of radius - between 2.5 and 3 years
• Humerus - top and bottom, between 3 and 3.5 years
• Scapula - glenoid or bottom (weight-bearing) portion – between 3.5 and 4 years
• Hindlimb - lower portions same as forelimb
• Hock - this joint is "late" for as low down as it is; growth plates on the tibial and fibular tarsals don't fuse until the animal is four (so the hocks are a known "weak point" - even the 18th-century literature warns against driving young horses in plow or other deep or sticky footing, or jumping them up into a heavy load, for danger of spraining their hocks).
• Tibia - top and bottom, between 3 and 3.5 years
• Femur - bottom, between 3 and 3.5 years; neck, between 2.5 and 3 years; major and 3rd trochanters, between 2.5 and 3 years
• Pelvis - growth plates on the points of hip, peak of croup (tubera sacrale), and points of buttock (tuber ischii), between 3 and 4 years.
•The vertebral column is last. A normal horse has 32 vertebrae between the back of the skull and the root of the dock, and there are several growth plates on each one, the most important of which is the one capping the centrum. These do not fuse until the horse is at least 5 ½ years old. The taller the horse and the longer its neck, the later the last fusions will occur. Fusions in male horses generally take up to an additional 6 months.
Significance of the Closure Schedule for Injuries to Back and Neck vs. Limbs.
The lateness of vertebral "closure" is most significant for two reasons. One: in no limb are there 32 growth plates! Two: the growth plates in the limbs are (more or less) oriented perpendicular to the stress of the load passing through them, while those of the vertebral chain are oriented parallel to weight placed upon the horse's back. Bottom line: you can sprain a horse's back a lot more easily than you can displace those located in the limbs.
You also have to be careful - very careful - not to yank the neck around on your young horse, or get him in any situation where he strains his neck as the lower cervical vertebrae are one of the later fusing bones.
Relationship of Skeletal to Sexual Maturity
People often think because a male horse can physically reproduce at age 2 he is considered fully mature. By that definition every 14 year old boy is mature. The ability to achieve an er****on, pe*****te a mare, and ej*****te semen containing live s***m cells occurs before skeletal maturity, both in humans and horses.
The Significance of Too Much Too Soon.
What will happen if you put a young horse to riding much too early Two important things - and probably not what you're thinking of. What is very unlikely to happen is that you'll damage the growth plates in his legs. At the worst, there may be some crushing of the cartilages, but the number of cases of deformed limbs due to early use is tiny. Legs can be damaged much quicker and more seriously by over feeding a young horse.
Structural damage to the horse's back from early riding is somewhat easier to produce than structural damage to his legs. There are some bloodlines that are known to inherit weak deep inter vertebral ligament sheathing; these animals are especially prone to the early, sudden onset of "saddle back'" However, individuals belonging to these bloodlines are by no means the only ones who may have their back "slip" and that's because, as mentioned above, the stress of weight bearing on the back passes parallel to its growth plates as well as parallel to the inter vertebral joints. However, the frequency of slipped backs in horses under 6 years old is also very low.
When trying to explain the justification and common sense of waiting until at least 3 years of age to introduce a horse to light work under saddle and incrementally increasing that workload over the next year to a competitive/ performance level by age four, I am almost always inevitably confronted with an impatient disapproving owners condescending response in notifying me that race horses have been started early for centuries and are already often competing at age two.
The Equine Studies Institute Knowledge Base by, Dr. Deb Bennett.
http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

09/28/2023

“You need to do less sooner; you’re always doing too much, late.” Ray Hunt.

Image of Ray is by Julie Baldocchi.

09/20/2023

Inside a session from the Old Master Series

09/16/2023

Appreciate your trainer.

They spend way more hours at work than you could even imagine. They are here six if not seven days a week every week. They work holidays. They work weekends. And just because their office is outside and they get to be surrounded by beautiful animals the whole time does not mean they aren’t working. The barn to you is your sanctuary. It’s your escape. It’s your place to vent. Your place to relax. Your place to unwind. That is not what the barn is to them. While they have moments of serenity when everything is quiet, this is still their job. they are still on the clock. They still need to be on their game. Always.

Their job is not just riding. They deal with all of you every day. Long before and long after they have come and gone from the barn. During dinners. During drinks with friends. During family time. On days off. They are here for you.

They care. They care more than you could ever know. Each and every horse is a part of their soul. They know their mannerisms. They meticulously watch their weight, their movement, monitor what they eat and how much of it, how much they work, whether they are happy doing their job, and how to make them go in a way that pleases you without jeopardizing them. They stay up late with them if they are sick. They write down every time they batted an eyelash wrong. And they remember what they need when.

They take pride in them going well for you. They listen to every flaw you find with them, even if it is in fact your flaw, and try to help them do their job better. When you are unhappy with how they go, they strive to never let it happen again, even if your expectations are unreasonable. They bend over backwards to make your horse perfect, even if what you’re asking for is a horse without spirit, or personality. They stand up for them when they can, trying their best not to make you upset in the process. They are their life’s work, and they know them inside and out.

They listen to you. Whether you are rational or not. They remain calm when you bring the stress of your day job to the barn and take it all out on your horse and on us. They pick up the pieces when you’ve been unforgiving with your horse, who was simply surprised by your lack of patience after a long day. They are your rock, your shoulder to cry on, and your horses.

When they go home, they still reply to your texts and your emails and your calls. They are never off the clock. They take in stride as best we can your rants of frustration when your horse or your riding isn’t exactly where you want it to be exactly when you want it. They take the blame. For you. For your horse. For everything.

And yet here they are. Still showing up. Still being here for you. For your horse. No matter how you treat them. Regardless of whether you deserve them. They are here.

09/12/2023

💫 „Als ich für Franke Sloothaak gearbeitet habe, hat er mir immer wieder gesagt, Du musst Geduld haben. Damals als junger, hochmotivierter Reiter wollte ich so reiten wie John Whitaker oder Ludger Beerbaum. Dann war ich natürlich manchmal etwas frustriert, weil es nicht alles gleich so klappte, wie Franke es mir vormachte. Wenn Franke dann sagte, habe einfach Geduld, konnte ich damlas nicht so viel damit anfangen. Aber heute, beinahe 20 Jahre später, habe ich verstanden, dass Geduld der Schlüssel ist. Wenn du dir und dem Pferd Zeit gibst, sich zu entwickeln, dann wirst du irgendwann auch das Ziel erreichen, dass du dir gesetzt hast. Das war wirklich der richtige Tipp, Geduld zu haben, das mache ich mir auch immer wieder bewußt. Auch wenn ich damals nicht wirklich darauf gehört habe.“ 💫 Daniel Deusser über den Schlüssel zum Erfolg! Das ganze Interview bei www.spring-reiter.de https://www.spring-reiter.de/index.php/2022/03/12/interview-mit-martin-fuchs-und-daniel-deusser-du-kannst-in-unserem-sport-nichts-erzwingen/
📷 spring-reiter.de
Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping

09/02/2023

A Note About Joint Injections
Joint injections are commonly performed in equine athletes. Most often, a combination of corticosteroid (“cortisone”) and hyaluronic acid (“HA”) is used. These can be very useful and valuable treatments when used correctly. The best use is in a joint that has some evidence of osteoarthritis, such as the lower hock joints. Used appropriately, the injections function to decrease inflammation and actually protect the cartilage—this is known as being chondroprotective. Corticosteroid joint injections should NOT be given in normal, healthy joints, because they have potential to damage cartilage in a joint that is not inflamed. So, don’t subscribe to the practice of “six packing” or “round the world” wherein multiple joints are injected in the same horse without any evidence that there is inflammation or arthritis; these practices are commonly used on barrel horses and race horses. Joint injections do not improve performance or act preventatively in normal joints.
What’s more, be judicious about what veterinarian you choose to administer joint injections. They must be done with careful attention to cleanliness (including a 10 minute surgical scrub beforehand, use of gloves, etc.) to avoid potentially infecting the joint. Dr. Schmotzer was recently an expert witness for a case in Illinois where a veterinarian had the owner do the cleaning of the hocks beforehand with a few paper towels and a bar of soap. Not surprisingly, the joints got infected, and a lengthy and expensive course of treatment was required to cure the joints, resulting in a lawsuit. In cases with severe infections, horses must sometimes be euthanized or are permanently lame. Be smart, and don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish. Treat joint injections with the respect they deserve, and use only when truly indicated for the health of the horse.

08/31/2023

Reflections of an aging equestrian.

I have done and seen so many things in the horse world.

Trained horses and riders for lots of different things.

Kept my eyes open.

Learned a lot.

Perspective is a wonderful thing and here are some of my opinions.

You cannot show horses if you are looking to please judges. They are rarely pleased. Further, they have varying opinions based on their journey and education that may or may not be consistent with what you heard from the last judge, and are trying to produce.
Be fair to your horse and ride for his betterment.
In the short and long run that is the most important thing, and you will not be disappointed then.

Everyone who loves horses is not willing to get involved with equine welfare. That was a tough one for me to swallow. I thought knowledge coupled with need would roust all the horse lovers into action. I know now that is not true at all. I think we should all do something… whatever we can, on account of the need, but that now seems unlikely.
I will know more and report back on that as I continue on into the world of equine welfare.

Teaching people to ride is not the same as creating a horseman or horsewoman. We have far too much of the former and not enough of the latter.

Being a good sport is very difficult in this industry for a myriad of reasons. Try to be a good sport anyway.

Standing up for yourself or your horse is equally difficult. Do that as well.

Remember who helped you, sponsored you, coached you or gave you opportunities. Once in a while remember to thank them.

I would not trade my as yet unfinished journey with anyone else’s. I needed to learn what I have learned I needed to see what I saw. Embrace your journey. Work hard, try, care, and above all…

BE GOOD TO THE HORSES,
Cheers,

08/28/2023

What are we aiming for? “What are you going to feel when your horse comes on the bit? He will suddenly seem to move as a unit instead of a pile of parts, His back will swing, His walk will be smoother and more flowing. You'll have a comfortable, conversational feel of his mouth in your hand. Rather than being stiff or braced or hanging on one or both reins, he'll feel soft and giving and elastic. And his strides will be longer and less frequent, because his hind legs will be stepping farther under his body and covering more ground."
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2022/04/the-half-halt-made-easy/

08/27/2023

08/19/2023

Christopher Bartle, Master Trainer, tells us what we SHOULD be seeing when we watch Grand Prix dressage… “The quality of the piaffe and passage is reflected in the extent to which the exercises are performed with apparent ease on the part of both horse and, just as importantly, the rider. They must appear as natural to the horse as the trot or the canter and for that reason the training which produces these exercises must be a logical extension of the work.”
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2019/11/piaffe-and-passage-with-christopher-bartle-part-six/

08/18/2023

Jan Tönjes talks to Christopher Hector: "if we have unbalanced piaffes, and if we have high croups in every change, and even in the pirouettes no spring any more in the hindlegs but more or less just a turn on the haunches without having a real canter jump, or the characteristics of a canter jump in the hind leg – and then you get a 7.5. so why as a rider do you have to change it if you get a 7.5, that’s not fairly good, it’s close to good."
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2023/08/jan-tonjes-the-aachen-interview/

08/01/2023

: While there’s obvious exceptions - anything electrified, anything made out of bicycle chain or broken glass, c’mon 🙄 - horse training equipment like bits or spurs or auxiliary reins isn’t inherently good or inherently evil. I’d take the tactful, educated and compassionate rider in the double bridle and the roweled spurs every day over the aggressive or ham-handed rider in the rubber snaffle with no spurs at all. A good rider can ride well in anything. A bad rider can be unkind in anything.

07/06/2023

As a barn owner, the hardest line you'll ever draw is the boundary of who you allow in and who you allow to stay.

A friendly reminder to my fellow trainers (and any horse person in general)-

-Nobody is worth your peace of mind..if they cost you your peace, kick them out!

- No one can buy your trust, when you see their true actions...believe them.

- If they can't respect you or the facility, they need to leave.

- No amount of money is worth harboring negative energy in your work and play atmosphere.

I am done trying to hatch bad eggs. I am no longer willing to try to fix, help, slave or suffer for those not willing to give the same effort or at the least carry themselves with class and integrity.

Say it with me friends:

Your barn, your rules. And your happy place. If they don't like it, they can leave.

Customer service should not feel like slavery. You shouldn't feel uncomfortable when people pull into your barn driveway. Stick to your guts. And your boundaries. 💕

- Ian Baese O’Connor

📸 Kaly Madison Photography

07/01/2023

A recent study, conducted in Japan, compared various methods for cooling horses after exercise in hot and humid conditions. Thoroughbreds were exercised until their pulmonary artery temperature reached 108°F. The time until the pulmonary artery temperature returned to

06/28/2023

In dressage, the best riders develop psychological strength as a key ability because it takes a positive attitude, strong will, good work ethic, humbleness, stubbornness and overall horsemanship to succeed. You have to accept that success and failure never last in this sport, so you have to take each in stride and not make too much of a deal out of either—it is just another day at work. In the end, the best riders have this strength and an undying drive to continue because a rider still has to take care of the horses and get back in the saddle tomorrow and the day after that since this is not only a sport, hobby or business, but a lifestyle that lasts a lifetime. - Jan Brink

06/21/2023

Everyone has bad days, even Carl Hester, here he talks about a bad Aachen experience:
“I’ve actually been last here, I hold that record. In 2004 on Escapado, that walk of shame, coming out of A, to go back through the entrance and to the stables, is probably one of the longest walks I’ve ever walked, with the horse jogging the whole way back, foaming and so over-excited. That was my Olympic preparation. It caused a huge controversy. The selectors were very good to me that year, I said, my horse will be fine if he is able to be in a venue for a couple of weeks. He can’t come to Aachen on a Wednesday and compete on a Thursday, and expect him to be settled. He was just too nervous, he was mostly Thoroughbred that horse. I’ve had that privilege… Read Carl’s words from back then:
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2015/10/carl-hester-talks-about-the-euro-champs/

06/20/2023

Advice after being in the horse world for 40 years... And I wish someone would have said to me.

1. Do what makes YOU happy. You don't have to have CDI/big ring goals. Having schooling show goals is just as important as trust me, the ribbons look and feel the same.

2. The horse world changes a lot every 10-20 years. Very few stay in it for the long term. Few will remember or care who the top riders where after a certain amount of time has passed. Make your riding about your goals and not trying to impress other people, nobody will care in 10 years.

3. The nasty/mean people will talk about you if you do bad and yes, even if you do extraordinarily well. Seriously, it's a no win situation. Smile, stay selective on your friends and focus on YOU.

4. With that said, there are some wonderful supportive people out there. Find your tribe but be very careful of who you let in your circle. Trust your gut. If they are talking and being snarky about others, eventually it WILL be about you too. Be very selective.

5. The nicest and most expensive barns/facilities are not always the best choice for your horses well being. Some of the most elaborate $$$$$$$$ sets ups I visited had more lame, needed injections by 6 yrs old, specialty shoes, tendon nightmares, back nightmares, never turned out, - saddest horses in my life.

6. DON'T board horses for outside ppl. Just don't do it. Ever. People want a 300$ board with 1500$ care and will not respect your personal space or time or efforts. Just say no no and no.

7. Not every trainer has
YOUR best interest in mind. Some are just using you as a sugar mama/daddy for a nice horse and you pay show bills and fees. Make sure YOU and YOUR horses goals match what YOU want/need and not what your trainer wants from the partnership.

8. Smile and just focus on your personal goals. It's about your life, your money and YOUR happiness. Don't let another person's opinion affect your mind. Stay away from negative people and behaviors.

06/07/2023

:

Pick a trainer who has done what you want to do. If you can, pick a trainer who has taught others to do what you want to do. Yes, personality and style (not to mention geography and price point) are hugely important, and there’s plenty of upper level riders who don’t teach well. But it’s hard to be guided to a place by someone who’s never been there.

06/06/2023

This is my step-by-step guide on how to be an average athlete with an average moving horse, and go from never having been touched by humans to schooling Grand Prix:

1. Your dedication to learning needs to be quite frightening. You’ll need to ride in the rain, ride when it’s inconvenient, drive the distance and sacrifice your free time and some sleep. You need to show up HUNGRY to learn. Always be on time, always be prepared.

2. Do everything it takes to improve yourself. Your mental stability, your mindset, your physical limitations. Read the self-help books, go to the therapy appointments, stretch, do Yoga, get some PT, etc.

3. Be humble and don’t blame things out of your control. It’s not your farrier, the footing, the other rider being in your way, the barking dogs, the saddle, your trainer, your horse, the wind…. It’s probably YOU.

4. Be a little bit weary of riding on your own. The difference between a professional and an amateur is this: a professional takes every opportunity to take as many lessons as they can because they want all the help they can get. An amateur takes one lesson and then wants time to practice on his/her own before scheduling their next lesson.

5. Sometimes you’re going to feel fear, frustration and feel like giving up and that’s okay. It’s temporary. Keep going.

6. You need help. I have 3 trainers that I regularly work with. And if your trainer doesn’t have a trainer, you need a new trainer.

7. Almost all of your budget should be spent on lessons and training. Not the horse, not custom tack, not a giant horse trailer that you can’t even back up by yourself. Buy more lessons.

8. All you need is a sound, trainable horse to make it to the top. I didn’t buy Roman because I had the promise from the breeder, my trainer, my vet, etc. that he had Grand Prix potential. So much time is wasted trying to find someone who will promise you this future. There is no way to predict the future with horses.

9. Ride any horse that won’t kill you. Ride the old ones, the young ones, the ones that can’t steer, the quirky ones, the serviceably sound ones, etc. They all have something to teach you. You are not too good of a rider for any horse.

10. Never cancel your lesson. Instead, get creative. Have a walking lesson. Have a lesson on a school horse instead. Have your trainer ride your horse. Have an unmounted lesson where you and your trainer dissect videos together. You can have excuses or you can have success. Not both.

Also,