It’s not all doom and gloom.

My last article was quite negative, depressing and it also took ages to write. Panic not kind readers!  I’m preparing two articles; one is to introduce the two lovely young horses I recently started training, and hope to compete soon; and the other about perhaps the most unlikely dressage horse ever JB Andrew – the wild mustang who turned FEI into an Dressage superstar.

Watch this space…

Record breaking sale of A La Dressage at the German Elite Foal Auction.

All records were broken at the German Elite Foal Auction where A La Dressage (by Ampere x Sandro Hit x Donnerhall) was sold for a staggering 200.000 Euros (£ 177.117). This is for a foal that hasn’t yet been weaned from his Mum. 

While the news made headlines in dressage circles it is hardly shocking or even surprising – the selling of A La Dressage merely falls in line with a trend we’ve been seeing for years now; and it confirms the image of dressage as an elitist sport available to a chosen few at higher levels. In the end of the day when some riders can afford the gamble and  pay hundreds of thousands of Euros for foals that are merely a few months old what hope do ordinary riders have - in the grand scheme of things – to try to compete against opponents so much better equipped in every sense. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fslU6vI_mgs&feature=player_embedded

I’m aware of the argument that it is a great thing for breeders, who have more incentive to breed better and better horses. This must be a good thing without a doubt because this much revenue coming in must be a great thing for the sport after all. However I wonder if every day riders are being slowly but surely pushed out to the side-lines by riders who have massive amounts of money to back up their competitive careers.

In horse riding money could always buy – some form of – success, this is no news; however now it seems the norm rather than the exception. If one looks at the top ten riders in the UK, Germany, Holland, Denmark etc., one will hardly find riders from ‘ordinary backgrounds’ (there are of course exceptions such as Adelinde Cornelissen, or Edward Gal); as they mostly come from exceptionally well off backgrounds (such as Laura Bechtolsheimer, Matthias Rath, Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein, etc.), or are part of well-known horse riding/breeding dynasties, and often both. Even Edward Gal lost his ride - the magnificent Totilas, when money came into play.

                                              Edward Gal pets Totilas in Rotterdam
                                                 

When I see foals auctioned for hundreds of thousands of Euros I wonder what hope have I got with my two young Thoroughbreds. One is a 5 years old failed racehorse who’s just been lent to me by his owner as a dressage project – only time will tell. The other, also 5 years old, a sweet little mare and a hack / hunter (who is on part loan to me – due to my limited finances).  

Obviously my two are no match for the fantastic warmbloods one finds at the performance auctions throughout Europe. Not to mention the fact that I school in the local fields as I have no access to an arena at the moment; and that I can only afford one lesson a week (so each horse gets two lessons a month) - which is not much when trying to compete two young uneducated thoroughbreds.

Sometimes I can’t help but feel disheartened, but when I do, I think about some of the riders, and horses – past and present – who managed to beat the odds; and those inspirational stories help me keep going.

What other disciplines taught me - western.

I’ve never been lucky enough to buy ‘ready-made’ horses, and I’ve never been able to afford to send horses away for training when problems arose – all I can afford is lessons once a fortnight, or once a week when we have some extra money. Because of this I have to deal with setbacks, tricky situations, and even outright resistance  on my own quite often, which made me decide to keep an open mind, and try to learn about horses, horsemanship, and training methods from anywhere I can – including different disciplines such as western, racing and even Spanish bullfighting.  I’m preparing a series of posts – each focusing on a separate discipline -  that looks into techniques,  ideas and training tips that I found useful over the years.

The first discipline I would like to look into is western, and would like to focus on the well-known rider, trainer and most of all showman Clinton Anderson – the Marmite of western riding.  

I first became aware of Clinton Anderson, and his Downunder Horsemanship method when flicking through the channels one afternoon. The very moment I clicked on the Horse and Country channel (my favourite channel of all) I saw Clinton sitting on a horse, holding the reins with two fingers only, and as soon as he moved one hand slightly to one side the horse touched the tip of his boot with his nose – no force, no resistance, just a lovely supple movement. Like this:

Normally at the first sight of western I would change channel, but when I saw this I thought – wow what a happy supple and attentive horse. This might not be a dressage movement on its own, but producing a horse this supple, happy and obliging can only be a good thing – so I wanted to know more.  

I stated watching the Downunder Horsemanship series on H&C channel, and I was pretty much hooked. Clinton has a no nonsense, straight to the point, black and white attitude to horse training. His motto is ‘Make the right thing easy, and the wrong thing difficult. Sounds simple enough, but how many of us could actually put this principle into practice on daily bases – not many people I know (with a few exceptions of course). In his programme Clinton breaks this principle down step by step into what he calls his Idiot proof method. I don’t know about you kind reader, but to me Idiot proof works, because it is simple, step by step, and easy to understand (something some of the dressage texts I have read certainly lacked).

Another thing I like about Downunder Horsemanship is the amount of time Clinton spends on the ground schooling, gaining respect and understanding. I have always been a firm believer in training on the ground as well as training in the saddle, and I found a wealth of techniques he uses that works wonders.

After watching his video on how to supple a horse from side to side I thought several horses to yield and touch my boot while holding the reins with only two fingers (having less than an ounce weight in my hands), and it works. The horses became supple, very light in the hand, and what’s more I was praised by the physiotherapist as the horses were well muscled and lose in their backs. This exercise if the equivalent of the carrot stretch if executed correctly. I found this exercise useful when riding young horses especially when they lose concentration, or when something disturbs them. It helps to stop for a second and ask for one or two lateral flexions on each side, praise them and ride on – most of the time the horses’ concentration is restored; they can carry on working relaxed and soft.

Another technique I found incredibly useful from the Downunder Horsemanship is the one rein stop – which saved me in some hairy situations, and helped me bring young, inexperienced horses back under my control without much drama, and accident. I recently trained a 4 years old ex-flat racehorse, who was very hot and fizzy, strong, and his mouth was (unfortunately) like a brick – no brakes at all. One of his ‘party trick’ was to bolt full, gallop full speed  putting a flying buck in every five or six stride, while got a hold of the bit. It was deadly and very fast. When he wanted the rider off he meant it. The only way I could ever get out of this situation without falling off was the one rein stop, which helped me stop him every time.

These are only two of the beneficial, no-nonsense techniques Clinton Anderson described in his programme, however there are many more that I tried, and found useful. His Downunder Horsemanship series is played on H&C channel regularly, and is full of free advice any rider of any discipline can use. His blog has a weekly advice section which is also available free of charge, and I believe is well worth a look.

I’m aware of the criticism Clinton receives from time to time, some people feel that his methods are harsh and that he makes horses work too hard. In his defence it is important to remember that Clinton Anderson is a top competition rider and trainer. He has never claimed to be a ‘horse whisperer’ of any sort, he competes at the highest levels, and he produces horses after horses at that level. Most professional riders who compete at high levels will work horses hard, and will use methods that some pleasure riders might find harsh (whether they are harsh or not). Love him or loath him I think Clinton Anderson’s show and website is well worth a look, as it is full of good, down to earth advice. Advice that poorer riders cannot afford to miss out on. 

Thank you for reading.

Congratulations Team GB!!!

Congratulations to team GB on their fantastic, record breaking performance at the European Championship in Rotterdam! Carl Hester is a living legend, and it’s great to see him back on the team (where he belongs)!!!!

Favourite quotes...

‘Dressage is nothing else than the cultivation of natural movements horses show in freedom and training these to perfection.’

(Taken from the article ‘Fighting Windmills: JB Andrew, Cultivated Freedom’ from the Eurodressage website)

What a fantastic quote. I must remember it next time when somebody asks me what Dressage is all about, or why I want to do dressage, or something similar.

A little bit about Inspiration – Lis Hartel and Jubilee

One of my favourite website Eurodressage has a fantastic series of articles titled Greatest Oldies which tells the stories of great dressage riders and dressage horses of the past. These are stories  from the ‘old days’ when horses that today most would call ordinary at best were given the chance to prove themselves, and when riders could go far without spending  vast amounts of money, or having lucrative sponsors, or backers. In other words the stories are from a time when dressage could still be done on a shoestring, and riders of all background – financial and otherwise – could still compete as more or less equals. I will regularly write about an inspirational story either from the ‘old days’ or from present day, because I believe that we all need a little bit of inspiration to be able to dream, and to be able to carry on when things are not going the way we’d like.

In this series of articles there are some truly amazing stories – such as the story of Lis Hartlel and Jubilee. Lis who was struck down by polio at 23 went on to win a Silver medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic games despite being partially paralysed. Her horse Jubilee was brought as a hack by her family some years earlier, and by all accounts was not a dressage prospect at all. After being told that she will never ride again – due to being paralysed from the knee down -  Lis decided to fight on, and started riding Jubilee as soon as she was mobile enough. Jubilee was chosen not for her abilities but rather because she was a reliably and steady mount, and wise beyond her years.  The two of them went on to become multiple Olympic medal winners due to Lis’ determination, and Jubilee’s amazing temperament, and big heart. Unfortunately these days determination, and a horse with a heart of gold is rarely enough, but we should never say never; and stories such as Lis and Jubilee should inspire many to stay positive, and aim high.   

Follow the link below to read their story on Eurodressge:

http://www.eurodressage.com/equestrian/2010/10/22/jubilee-post-war-dressage-hero

Stories like this helps me believe that one day I might be able to ride at a higher level (although not Olympic); and that maybe..just maybe it could be done on a more ‘ordinary’ horse – one that could be available for people with limited means – as long as there is true partnership, understanding and trust.

A little bit about myself

A little bit about myself.

Basically I would describe myself as a hobby rider with ambition but no money.

I’ve been riding for many years, and like so many others started riding as a child at the age of 10 in Hungary. I rode throughout my teenage years and competed from time to time, first in show jumping, and later in my early 20s in dressage. I took a long break (9 years) from riding, and took it up again at about 30.  It took a very long time to be able to start riding regularly, and for the first few years I helped out in local stables in Ireland (where we were living in those days) to get some riding, as lessons would cost about 35 – 45 Euro at that time and I had no money to have my horse.

I helped out for about 3 years for the odd lesson at a local dressage yard, and for the chance to ride maybe twice a week -  however as I was getting more serious about riding once again this was not enough. My (long suffering) husband and I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a horse (a 15 years old retired Friesian carriage horse). From then on I had to balance the cost of keeping a horse and taking riding lessons to help me improve. For the next three years I had a number of horses – due to the fact that I was extremely unlucky – I had to retire two due to injury (unrelated to training or riding), lost one to grass sickness (after only 12 days), and had to sell one, a discarded German PSG dressage horse (and son of Donnerhal) whom I acquired cheap due to the fact that he was just too difficult to ride; and I soon found out that that he was way too difficult for me to manage.

I was utterly demoralised, and didn’t know what to do next. By this time I knew that I wanted to return to competitive dressage, and wanted to have a ‘real go’ at becoming a decent dressage rider, however we couldn’t afford to keep a horse (especially as the ones I had owned seemed to have had endless health problems), and keep up with proper lessons – which are a must for me to advance further. The only way we could have afforded both (horse and lessons) would have been for me to work 9 to 5 full-time, and also take on a lot of overtime – which would have made it impossible for me to ride every day… Catch - 22

Two years ago I decided not to buy a horse, and went on to loan a one instead – again a minefield, trust me.  I soon learned that people who loan horses are vulnerable to criticism and blame if anything at all happens to the horse even if it is not their fault. Sometimes even if nothing happens loaners can be blamed– which I found out when riding a horse I recently took on loan. He spooked when a bird flew up from a bush next to the arena – perfectly normal I would think, however the owner – not horsey himself – insisted that his horse (9 years old) has never ever did anything like this and till that day he never ever spooked, therefore I must have made him upset in some way….

4 months ago I left my job (as a careers adviser), and took up a job working for a local racehorse trainer – working for a lot less money, however getting a lot more job satisfaction.  While riding racehorses couldn’t be more different to dressage, there are certainly many things I can learn about, such as how to start and bring on young and headstrong horses. Also the fast paced work out in the fields and gallops is something I was a little scared of, therefore neglected in the past. I felt that I had to have complete control over the horse and the situation, and had real trouble being able to just being able to let go and enjoy more fast paced riding away from the safety of the arena, which is something my new job certainly helps me learn to do. It’s scary at times, but I do it, and I know that it is something that will help me become a much better and accomplished rider in the years to come.

Finally after years of trying hard I also managed to find a fantastic trainer who trains up to GP, and who seems to be able to teach me something new every time. This is where I am at the moment. Have a great trainer, but no horse; and have a great job that allows me to ride, but not dressage.  There are some horses that I might be able to ride and maybe compete – I’ll tell you about them in the next few posts, which will hopefully allow me to ponder my options.

Well thank you for reading all this, I hope I didn’t bore you with my long-winded story, and if any one of you readers have a similar (or maybe a different) story to tell, or anything else to add please feel free to comment.

Welcome to my blog

This is my new blog that I hope will document my struggle to achieve dressage success with rather limited funds. By sharing my story, my ups and downs as well as my thoughts I hope to offer advice for people who want to become better riders, but struggle to make ends meet. Please feel free to comment, share your experiences, and your opinions. There will be lots of photos as well as videos that you can comment on – which you are invited to do so.

I do not claim to be a good or a successful rider; however I aspire to become the best rider I can possibly become – which is terribly difficult because I wasn’t born into a ‘horsey family’, and I do not have money stashed away to finance a career in dressage, or in horses in general. But still I’m ambitious, and I’m determined to become a good and hopefully successful rider one day.