Tag Archives: equilife

“Wow, a professional rider?! That is, like, SO glamorous!” ~ Georgina Roberts

Let me give you the short answer first: no. And the long answer? Hell no.

This came as we were celebrating a successful show with the usual mix of Horsey meets Normal people. The normal people were breathlessly labouring under the illusion that we – the professional riders – were living examples of Jilly Cooper’s ‘Riders’, the fast living, high flying, leather clad elite.

Oh, how wrong they are.

 

The first excellent example was when it came up that one of us had won a provincial title at the championship show.   ‘Amazing! Let’s have champagne!’ … Let’s not.
In reality, shows cost the professional riders, because they miss out on a week of work to compete, entry fees accumulate quickly, and even IF you do take some prize money home … ‘Er, who’s paying? Because I only won two hundred rand. And my entries were six hundred.’

The bankers and lawyers look at us blankly. The obviousness of the bad business model flew over our heads as we revelled in our triple (!!!) tier rosette and pretty sash.

It doesn’t really make sense, we know. It especially doesn’t make sense that we don silk top-hats and tailored tailcoats, but three year old jeans with holes in the crotch and a t-shirt of dubious colour – it could be tie-dyed, it could be a mixture of hoof varnish and grassy gob, who knows?

 

And then we have the second round of Riders-Induced Disillusionment – drugs and riders. As my friend limped in I opened my bag and furtively offered her a tablet. Half the guests’ eyes widened (“You see, I knew no one would ride a horse unless they were on drugs”) and the other half prepared to sidle closer… relax. When riders DO strip their clothes off, the bruises, scars, and bizarre tan lines reveal a history of Myprodol and Cataflam dependency. We WISH we could afford hardcore uppers: they would be cheaper than eventing, and less dangerous to our health.

Furthermore, if our horses so much as trip we call the physiotherapist out, but we will nurse a limp for months before spending a cent on ourselves. And as friend of mine said recently, ‘We don’t always fall off, but when we do we ride before the doctor says it’s okay.’ That’s because our horses can’t afford to have a day off before competing, and we can’t afford to take a day off from earning. As it turns out, irony is not a drink best served stirred.

 

The third example of the Jilly Cooper Myth was my girlfriend from varsity (money well spent, mom) ogling a dashing rider as he strolled past, flicking his forelock for the appreciative crowd. “So, who is…” she giggled before we all bellowed into our Savannahs in unison, “GAY”. Some heated discussion ensued, which was mitigated by him sitting down and flirting outrageously with her startled brother, who had been insisting not a minute before that it was a fallacy that all hot guys were gay. Really, Mark? The only phone number I get asked for is my beauticians.

 

And the third example – aka “The Nail In The Coffin Of Fantasy” – was as we walked out of the marquis just in time to see an impeccably manicured woman shriek as her child’s grey show pony started to poop… then cup her hands and sigh with relief as she caught it. Can’t have manure stains on those hocks before the championship! She pointed toward her Dior handbag and calmly called for a wet wipe. Someone’s friend dry heaved. I offered them a Myprodol and a swig of vodka to wash it down. They promised to come to Derby, but haven’t been returning my calls…

 

So before you joke that horse ladies like cat ladies with more money, remember this: not only do we have less money, but there is even less testosterone at a horse show than at a pet store. And the testosterone we DO have is coming from one of the aging dressage aunties who is trying to get her horse into the box.

Trying Out Novice, a taste of great things to come ~ Brigitte Billings

The nice thing about Novice is that it really is a level for any horse. Dressage often gets a bad rap as being elitist and purely for the ‘money set’, but a well-schooled crossbreed has just as much chance of doing well in a Novice test as an imported Warmblood.

In fact, many dressage experts believe that any horse can easily compete right through Elementary. This means that simply by caring for your horse and being committed to your schooling, you can enjoy years of dressage with a horse of any age or budget. Better yet, an imperfect horse will most likely benefit greatly from the strength and flexibility that this training will give him.

Prelim prep

If your Prelim foundations have been well established, the transition to Novice should be fairly smooth. While your horse will continue to be challenged by the athletic requirements of each test, if you’ve started him correctly, his body should be able to adapt to the demands with minimal stress.

Again, consider how you would embark on a training programme yourself. You wouldn’t walk into a gym and immediately lift the heaviest weight in the rack, or set the treadmill to the fastest or toughest level; instead you’d build up strength and stamina gradually, while maintaining correct form. The same applies to your equine athlete.

 The Tests

There are seven Novice tests – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and a Freestyle, which is dressage ridden to music. As in Prelim, the horse should be ridden in a snaffle bit and the rider may ride with whip and spurs. The movements introduced to your horse in Prelim will now require more accuracy. Gait changes are more pronounced and should be accurately ridden at the marker. A lengthened canter is introduced, which will show that you are able to ask for a burst of impulsion and then a return to a working canter within the space of two markers – quite a challenge if your horse is not on the aids, but it’s an excellent way to teach you to use your seat rather than your hands to control speed.

Judges will also be paying more attention to your horse’s rhythm, straightness and balance, which will be tested in movements such as the ten-metre half circle in trot and the 15-metre canter circle. Don’t overlook the importance of the ‘stretchy trot circle’, in which you allow your horse to take the rein and stretch down on a 20-metre circle. It allows the judge to see that your horse is working comfortably over his back and is happy to reach forward to the contact – fundamental aspects of good schooling.

By the time you reach Test 6, you’ll be doing the rein-back, counter-canter and lateral work in the form of the leg yield. While this may sound daunting, all of these are natural progressions of your basic schooling and your horse should adjust to them with minimal resistance. For example, consider that a horse working in balance will not need to ‘lean in’ on a canter circle, so should be comfortable working on either lead. Also, if your horse is responding correctly to the leg aid, stepping away will be a simple response to leg pressure, resulting in a leg yield.

Ringcraft Learning some basic ‘ringcraft’ can help you achieve better scores. Prepare your horse for transitions by getting him balanced, don’t cut corners (you’ll quickly realise that corners are your friends) and be accurate on your markers. Your instructor can provide tips on turning your ‘5’ into a ‘6’ – or even a ‘7’, just by paying attention to the little details.

Of course, many of these things are easier said than done, because in a lot of instances you will be learning at the same time as your horse. But this is the beauty of dressage – it’s an endless journey of discovery which ultimately strengthens your relationship.

Next month we’ll look at the Elementary classes, where the pressure starts to mount.

Want to try it out? Recreational membership is free! Visit www.dressagesa.com for contact information.