Let's face it, owning horses is not an inexpensive proposition. Buying the horse is the least expensive thing you'll do as a horse owner. And once you have that dream horse, then what? Horses don't come with owner's manuals, but they DO come with a mind of their own. Can you think of any other Olympic sport that requires coordinating the minds and bodies of a human with a creature who speaks a totally different language and outweighs that human at least ten to one? The Olympians rarely ride without at least a set of eyes on the ground. The team has their own dedicated team coach, in addition to each rider's private coach, with whom they train weekly, if not daily. Which brings me to the elephant in the room...training for the every day, average Dressage rider.
I know, I know...it's expensive. You just wrote a check to the farrier, the vet, the boarding facility, the feed store, the hay supplier, your truck and trailer insurance provider...maybe you even just paid your entry fees for the upcoming show you've had your eye on. Don't even get me started about membership fees and tack. And if you're like most average Dressage riders, you're probably also paying a mortgage, a grocery bill for a family of four, and all the other household expenses that go along with raising a family. Who knows, maybe you're even paying for college tuition or the elder care of a family member, or both. Or the co-pay on a recent knee surgery. Life is expensive. Riding your horse is supposed to be an OUTLET, not a source of stress, right?! And now some trainer wants to get paid for barking orders at you?!
It's called The Sport of Kings for a reason. Only in the last century or so has horse ownership become more of a middle class endeavor. But the goose is cooked: you own the horse and have the show entries paid. What now? Get some lessons! Better yet, pay a trainer to keep your horse in regular work when things get tight meeting all your obligations and you just can't get to the barn. It really is money well spent to invest in your and your horse's education. I speak as both a trainer who provides this peace of mind on a daily basis to a full book of clients, as well as a horse owner who strives to bring my own horses up the levels to best of our abilities as a team. I've lived in a place where access to training was nonexistent without extensive travel. Heck I've lived in places where it took me an hour just to even get to the barn to ride my horse, and that's if the mountain pass wasn't closed due to whiteout conditions in winter. I'd be a lot farther along in my own riding if I'd been willing to invest in paying a trainer to ride my horse when I couldn't get there, or if I'd always lived in places where there was on site access to good training. But, we don't know what we don't know, and, when we do know better, it's important to do better. As soon as it became clear to me that if I wanted to improve myself and my horse, I needed to avail myself of training, I figured out a way to make it happen. I couldn't afford to pay for full training, but, I did have time to give, so, I became a working student. Then, once I became a full time trainer myself, I made a point of travelling to clinics and shows to further my education. I signed up as a participant for the USDF "L" program the very second I was eligible. Ditto the USDF Instructor Certification Program. Travel costs for both programs were extensive. I didn't necessarily recoup those costs in terms of immediate pay increase, but, the skill sets I gained as a result made me a better rider and trainer, and put me in a better position to make the most of future opportunities which have far outweighed the financial and time sacrifices I made then.
Enough about me, what about you? You have no desire to become a trainer. You have a horse, and you want to improve, maybe even show. You have to make every training dollar count. What follows are my tips for maximizing your training dollar, my hard won lessons from both sides of the transaction.
1. Be on time.
Better yet, be early. It seems to go without saying, right? You've signed up and paid in advance for the very expensive clinician touted as having the magic touch. Of course you're not going to be late to your $250 lesson, right?! Well, you'd be surprised how often I see it...people getting distracted by things that don't matter. I can groom and tack up my horse in 20 minutes flat and that includes a curry, polo wraps, hoof polish and fully brushed out tail. If I am running late, I always keep clean boots in my tack room, and my horse doesn't need to pass a white glove test. My lesson time is far more important, and it's even more important that my horse have ample time to walk and loosen up before being asked to work hard for me. His hooves don't need to be shiny if time is short.
If you are fortunate enough to have weekly(or even DAILY) access to lessons, that is all the more reason to be on your horse-who is working in a familiar environment-ten minutes early, walking him out to loosen him so that you can go right to work when your coach is ready for you. Think about what that lesson costs you per minute. A $90 lesson is $2/minute. Unless the trainer specifically says "I want to work on your warm up routine", you and your horse should be ready to work when your coach turns on the headset. If you take weekly 45 minute lessons, and you're 10-15 minutes late to each lesson, you've basically paid for an entire lesson with wasted time by the end of each month. Your regular trainer is invested in you. Show off your horsemanship skills by having your horse already loosened up when your lesson time starts. That will make your coach far happier than a spotlessly clean horse arriving 15 minutes late.
2. Watch Other Lessons
Watch other lessons your regular coach gives. Watch other lessons the famous clinician gives. Of course, be courteous of others' paid ride time: ask permission/pay the audit fee, take notes, write down questions to ask during a break, and DO NOT TALK. Don't talk to the coach, don't talk to other riders while sitting next to the coach, just...don't talk. It's rude and distracting, and interferes with the paying client's lesson.
If you're the first rider up with a famous clinician, search out publicly posted videos or written clinic reports of that clinician teaching other riders so you go into it with some idea of what to expect. You'd be surprised at how much is available for free with a basic internet search, especially if it's a popular clinician. Better yet, pay to audit the first time he/she comes and get your name on the wait list for future visits, if it's a regular clinician.
3. Take Virtual Lessons
This is something that was not so easily available when I was living in a place that required I travel for training. But the cost and quality of equipment has improved dramatically in recent years. I personally prefer to work with the PIVO platform. It has its shortcomings because it follows the motion and not a tracking device, but if you have the arena to yourself for 45 minutes, it's a nifty tool. SoloShot has a GPS tracker, so, you need to be outside, weather permitting. And, it doesn't necessarily have a real time platform so lessons will not be real time. It's a better option for for recording yourself at shows or clinics. Pixio uses preset triangulating lasers, so this can be used indoors. They all are glitchy at times, but, they do work. You can even do a FaceTime lesson, if you have someone to hold the tablet for you, and unlimited data with good connectivity, or an indoor with Wi-Fi. Nothing beats in person lessons, especially if you have a young horse or are having trouble understanding a concept. The coach can't just jump on for you. But, it beats riding alone every single day with no eyes on the ground.
4. Watch Videos of Other Riders
Whether it's your favorite rider, or, someone else just like you posting some show or lesson video, watching videos of others riding can be very helpful. The caveat is of course how well-developed your eye is. I can honestly say that I get far more out of watching others ride now than I did fifteen or twenty years ago, because my eye has been developed. But, if it's a top rider who is consistently getting good scores, or, the average rider who generously shares what their score was, just watch and absorb as much as you can. Humans are not unique in the animal world in terms of learning by observation, but, humans do have the capacity to develop the skill to a very high degree. Spend some time developing your eye.
5. SCRIBE AT SHOWS!!!!
If your horse came up lame, or, your budget did, offer to scribe at the next show. You usually get a free meal out of the deal, and sometimes even a hotel room paid for. Shows always need volunteers. Scribing is hands down the very best way to learn what the judges are looking for. It is not easy to actually see what is going on, because your job is to record the scores and the comments, but judges are always very generous with their knowledge. There are often breaks in the action, and the warm up ring is usually visible, so, ask the judge some questions about what you are seeing. And as your skill as a scribe progresses, you will find that you can look up from time to time.
6. Groom For Your Friends at Shows
If your friend is going to a show and will be receiving coaching, GO HELP HER. Listen, watch, ask questions, help the coach, help your friend...everybody wins.
7. Join a Virtual Training Program
There are some really great training subscriptions available these days. They require subscriptions to get full access, of course, but it's a great way to gain access to good information. Some of my favorites: Thomas Ritter; Amelia Newcomb; Begijnhoeve; DressageTrainingOnline(this one is unique because they feature NUMEROUS trainers, riding and teaching); and YourRidingSuccess.
8. Read Books
Not everyone learns well this way, but if you do, there are so many great tomes out there to help you. My favorites are Dressage for the 21st Century by Paul Belasik(this is my GO TO BOOK) and Dressage in Harmony by Walter Zettl. There are so many good, well-written books with great illustrations. You should of course read the USDF Rule Book, the German training manual, and go to USDF's website for their library of educational material. The manuals for Certified Instructor training are extremely helpful. USDF University is a super way to maximize your membership dollar. Take every online course they offer.
9. Keep a Notebook
Jot down lesson highlights, Ah ha moments, anything that helps you remember what did and didn't work. Be sure to thumb through your notebook from time to time. It can remind you of figures or exercises that helped you, or didn't help you. And, it can help you notice patterns, about yourself and about your horse, to enhance future effectiveness.
This is by no means a complete list and I'm certain that as soon as I hit the "Publish" button I'll think of something else. But it's a great head start, and these are all techniques I have personally used to my educational benefit.
Happy Riding!
