So today I had a lesson, well perhaps a few lessons…
While usually I would have posted an obscene amount of pictures and videos gloating about how great it was, today is a little different. Today I was reminded what a humbling experience training horses is...
^A great still from our lesson two weeks ago before heading to Conyers GA by Joanne Holmeberg
The lesson started out fine, although I will be the first to admit I was too busy with my hands completely forgetting to ride from back to front, leg to hand. I suppose this should have been my first indication that today wasn't going to be what it usually is because as a rider I felt sure I was beyond that kind of riding.
^Coordinate receiving a 68% at training level test 2 for a very strong 4th place finish at Conyers two weekends ago also earning the TIP award for highest scoring OTTB!
But the truth is we all have these days. The days where we probably should have just gone on a hack but we already scheduled and drove to our lesson so now we power through. The days where the horse you normally have who is Mr. Mellow has decided he is a fire breathing dragon. Or perhaps you have a fire breathing dragon most of the time but on this day you cannot contain it the way you usually do. Professional or Amateur, English or Western, for pleasure or for show…you all have these days.
^The awesome hear received to represent our Godolphin racing connections!
My problem is that I am a bit of a perfectionist or type A personality as my trainer today described me. She is 100% right. I have known this from an early age. I am driven, impatient, competitive and am easily irritated by impediments to my progression on things. All of those things can be seen as less than desirable characteristics in a horse trainer in my eyes. But there I go again, being overly hard on myself.
So today instead of learning how to master my leg yields or even how to accurately ride a 20 meter circle at the canter (you think I am joking), I learned to embrace my type A qualities and also learn from them. My patience when it comes to riding has changed drastically over the years (ask my parents). Ok so I slipped up today, guess what? Tomorrow is a NEW day and I need to remember I do not have nearly as many frustrating days as I did 5 years ago. I am driven and competitive. So much to the point that I sit home and watch you tube videos of Carl Hester teaching, Charlotte Dujardin riding and Robert Dover’s dressage hub all night some times. All because I aspire to ride and understand dressage the way they do. But then I go to my lesson on my 5 year old off the track thoroughbred who has not even 6 months of retraining and wonder why I cannot canter as if I have an accordion between my hands and Blueberry (Aka Valegro) under my seat.
Well here is why. Because I am getting ready to compete training level, because this horse has only 6 months of dressage training over 3 years of race training, because although this horse’s name is Coordinate he can barely trot a diagonal line without me containing his shoulders from going one way or the other. That is why. But at the end of the day I would not change this for the world because I know that it is me putting the correct training on this horse, it is me that has built up his muscle correctly and it is me that will hopefully one day put the changes on him making him one heck of a Dressage OTTB ( I know I know, there I go with being overly driven).
Silliness aside, I truly love these horses and what they have taught me over the years. I also love the 9 month (or less) journey to the Retired Racehorse Project and on top of that I love the army that stands behind me as I chase these dreams and train these horses. Thank you Godolphin, EnviroEquine and Accuhorsemat. Thank you family, thank you friends and thank you supporters, it truly does take an ARMY!
