Monday, December 29, 2008

It's the end of 2008

Hi all! It's been a long time and the year is almost over. Just before Christmas I started following daily a story about two horses abandoned in the mountains of Alberta above the tree line in 6+ feet of snow and the efforts of rescuers to safe them I wanted to share the storyhttp://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2008/12/29/7871216-sun.html. Some people are just so incredibly wonderful.

I hope that everyone is coming to the Weekend Educational Program that Dressage4kids puts on. We have a truly amazing program this year. A full day just for kids competing at the FEI level or getting ready to. This should be required of all riders planning to try out for NAJYRC (which is being moved to KY, lots closer than CO!) Also a full day on How to Teach -- this is a unique program for all instructors and also should be a requirement.  There is a three sessions series for Supporting (not smothering) your competitor for parents and instructors. We are also honored to have two wonderful vets -- Brendan Furlong will speak about Keeping the Dressage Horse Sound -- he has been the team vet at numerous Olympics, World Games, etc. and Michael Stewart will talk about the new treatments for laminitis as well as the mental and physical aproach to preventing burnout in the horse. There will be special programs for pony clubbers and special sessions for little kids. There are also sessions just for parents. And general talks cover stable management, riding theory, judging, and going to the Olympics as a Groom. All the info will be on the dressage4kids website shortly. And best of all thanks to very generous sponsorship the fees are very low.

I want to thank all the amazing people who have been part of my life in 2008. None of the things for which I get credit would happen without the efforts of many people behind the scenes. Those who have written me lovely notes, Thank You. Those of you who have challenged me, I thank you. Those of you who have shared your love of horses, and learning with me -- how lucky we are.

I want to wish everyone a wonderful 2009 -- it's going to be a challenging year, but we are up to it, I know we are.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Are our instructors and trainers continuing their education?

I just returned from a clinic/symposium with Michael Klimke that was excellent. There were about 100 auditors. As I have noticed while auditing many clinics and symposia, there were very, very few professionals there. It concerns me that many teachers and trainers are not getting good ongoing education. Riding lessons are wonderful, but the only way to develop a good eye and a broad spectrum of useful exercises is watching others teach and train.

Often when I ask professionals why they are not attending educational activities they tell me they cannot afford to lose a day of lesson income. That is a legitimate reason. So here is my idea. Those of you who are being taught, why don't you get together with other students of your instructor and go to an educational program as a group -- even split the cost of taking your instructor. It will be to your advantage in the long run.

With this is mind I want to recommend two programs coming up: the Eckart Meyners Seat Symposium August 2/3 http://www.equestrianeducation.org/calendar_events.html
and the Symposium with Klaus Balkenhol, Col. Christian Carde, and Gerd Heuschmann on October 18/19 http://www.maplewoodwarmbloods.com/mw_news.html.

Both of these should be superb programs and somewhat unique. Wouldn't it be fun for a trainer to go with students so they could all discuss what they are seeing and hearing with each other?

Monday, April 7, 2008

I just finished a lovely weekend. Scott Hassler came to my stable to teach my students. He worked with Courtney King with her top horses, Mica Mabragana with the horse she rode in the YR World Cup, Meagan Davis who is trying out for the North American Young Rider Champs, three certified instructors, some other upper level horses as well some lovely young horses. What a fabulous teacher he is – challenging but encouraging, positive, a wonderful command of the language, and fun. As a long time teacher I was invigorated. I learned some new exercises as well as new phrases to use in my teaching. And I got hit on the head (figuratively) for missing some things with my students or letting some things slide by. We had a small group of auditors who were enthralled. How I wish more people would spend a day at a clinic like this just sitting and watching – filling their eyes with good quality riding, filling their ears with good quality teaching.

I know that I was started on the road of knowing what to look for by sitting for hours in Michael Poulin’s indoor arena watching him ride and watching and listening to his lessons. In the freezing cold huddled with blankets and Michael’s dog to keep warm, I wasn’t even aware of what I was learning. In the beginning I had no idea what to look for. Later I was able to guess what he was going to say as my eye became educated to seeing what he was seeing. Later I spent some wonderful days in Herbert Rehbein’s indoor arena outside of Hamburg, Germany. I speak no German and Mr. Rehbein spoke almost no English. But just sitting and watching some of the world’s top riders as they trained sent me home with a raised level of awareness.

On another hand I had two less known professionals at my stable last week. Corinna Scheller and Cheryl Reeve are working on their instructor certification and come to Gleneden to get some help in their riding and teaching. These nationally unknown teachers gave some wonderful lessons to my regular students. I find that very often riders only want to ride with the big name. We have some truly wonderful teachers who can teach lower levels superbly. I believe strongly in the USDF instructor certification program if only because you know that these certified instructors are interested in their own education and improvement. If an instructor is not willing to have their work evaluated and is not getting more education every year, perhaps they are not the best for you.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

In magazines and on the web

Just wanted everyone to know that Margaret Freeman wrote a wonderful article about the Youth Dressage festival that is in the March/April Hunter and Sport Horse Magazine. Great quotes from several competitors and lots of pictures.

I also wanted to suggest that anyone who will ever ride in a clinic read the article on www.dressagedaily.com about the Wellington Jr/YR Clinic. There is a wonderful list of do's and don't's.

Friday, February 22, 2008

While the snow comes down and we had to cancel clinics and schooling show today there are a few things I would like to share. First of all people often ask me if I miss riding. One of the things I miss is riding in the snow -- especially when it has been cold so that the show is light and fluffy. I think the horses love it; I got my first sense of suspension and even passage with my little western horse bouncing along at the trot.

But back to my world now. As one who would watch the super bowl for the ads I hope everyone has seen this year's Budweiser ad -- One of the things I have always said about my retirement (yeah, right) is that I want to look out on a pasture with Clydesdales in it. If you haven't seen it, here is the link: http://sports.aol.com/nfl/superbowlads?videoId=2065836

I also want to share a comment from one my vets, Matt Eliott who is also an event rider. He wrote me a note from Florida where he is for the winter. I help him with his Dressage occasionally. He is such a terrific student and inspiring:

The dressage is essential to the rest of it and I spend hours at it !!! It is always challenging, requiring focus and yet, relaxation. There are so many components along the way to making it all happen..... discipline, determination, letting go and yet holding on....a collage of sorts...much like life!!

I remember almost every time I swing my leg over my dressage saddle, many of your "pearls of wisdom" ....."Offer, don't give!"......"The take means nothing without the release!"

Friday, February 15, 2008

Every morning one of the first things I do when I sit down at my computer is check the website www.dressagedaily.com. Mary Phelps does a remarkable job giving everyone up to date news on this free site. I just read with special interest about the recent Graduate Young Rider Program. Liza Sydnor passed on a lot of excellent info that she received at the program. I wanted to share a poem that speaker Carol Lavel had written and shared with everyone:

Give credit where credit is due,
Don't take credit when it's not about you.
Remember the dressage world is very small,
Fame comes to those who stand very tall.
Honor those who give you their time,
Boosting you so your star can shine.
When and if you climb to glory,
It's now time to write a new story
About sharing , giving, helping, support,
It's now your time to give back to your sport.

At the Youth Dressage Festival every year the judges speak to the riders at the evening dinner. Carol gave one of the best talks we have ever had. In a nut shell she told us all to stop complaining about riding in the extreme heat -- if you go to the Olympics you and your horse will have to deal with it. She was much more entertaining than I have been!

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Anne Gribbons and Contact

I am always a bit behind in my reading, but tonight I did get through the December 21 Chronicle of the Horse. Anne Gribbons has a wonderful article on contact at: http://www.chronofhorse.com/index.php?cat=23007043193535&ShowArticle_ID=1212012070529024

You have to be a subscriber to the Chronicle to read this -- borrow one if you don't have it. I spend my life trying to help riders with the feel of a correct, elastic connection with the horse's mouth -- to be "there" without pulling, to have total elasticity without losing the contact, to be serious about riding half halts. Anne does a lovely job explaining this.

An Inspirational Photo

I hope each of you is aware that there are different ways for people to learn -- I am totally a visual learner. Some people need to feel to learn, some to have the technique explained....

For me pictures mean a great deal and for that reason I am an annoyance to publications that use photos of incorrect riding.

Anyway there is a photo of Spanish rider Victor Alvarez on the home page of www.dressagedaily.com this morning that shows such wonderful riding. I suggest when you go to ride next you have that picture in your mind. (not of the horse tilting his head :-)

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Weekend Educational Program

What a great weekend we just had. I have to tell everyone that our new location was a huge success. Our speakers were so generous with their time and knowledge. How lucky we are to have such people be willing to help us out.
But I was most pleased by the comment from the school janitor just as I was leaving at the end of today. He said they had never had a group take such good care of the facility and be so pleasant to work with. YEAH us! And thanks to everyone who helped out. I especially want to thank Kathy Kiesel, Kim Best, Susan Sieber, and Connie Cartesio who spent so much time yet were not able to listen to any of the speakers because they ran the registration, handled the activities for the children, and sold the merchandise.
I'm also really excited because I two people offer to help with our other activities -- yeah, new volunteers for D4K!
I am super tired and have to finish unpacking all the"stuff". Check out the website for Jeff Kurtz' photos.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Happy New Year Everyone

I hope you all are looking forward to a wonderful 2008. I know that my calendar is already looking incredibly busy. Of note this month I am going to the USEF Annual Meeting where I am on the Dressage Committee. the Youth Sports Committee, the Dressage High Performance Committee, and several subcommittees. I also am attending the USPC Annual Meeting (Advisory Board and Dressage Committee). I am also taking a quick trip to Florida for the USDF Trainers Conference with Jan Brink.

One of the sub committees of the USEF Dressage Committee is the Pony Committee and I am chair of that. I would love any suggestions you might have to encourage more ponies in Dressage, to encourage shows to hold pony classes. It is still amazing to me that we have almost no FEI ponies competing (ridden by riders 12 - 16 in the FEI Pony Test) in the entire US.

I am also on the Equitation sub committee. Any suggestions to encourage more participation would be welcome. While at the Frankfort CDI with Mica, we saw a typical German equitation class. The kids were divided in groups of about 6 --most were on ponies and they all had sidereins or sliding reins on. They worked walk and trot and then cantered individually from the front of the line to the back. These classes are huge at their shows.

Please remember that the D4K Weekend Educational Program is February 2/3. The final info will be posted soon.