Saw this on Denny Emerson's Facebook page:
I think it`s exactly the way with humans, it`s not that a person might not be able to be trained to perform a certain job, but if the person is suited for that ...job, has innate ability for that job, isn`t the person more likely to feel fulfilled than in something less oriented to her individual talents?
Same in choice of a riding discipline. An introspective risk avoider maybe could ride in the Maryland Hunt Cup, and could maybe actually do well, but wouldn`t she be happier in a horse sport more in tune with who she is?
Cramming the rider into the wrong horse sport is the cause of so much pain, not just physical pain. Try to do what you love. Not what you think you should love.
Really well said. Do you ever feel that some riders are in a discipline that does not fit their nature? This is why I am so glad I found my way to dressage. The sport fits my way of thinking, my way of riding and my way of learning. Sure, I enjoy dabbling in eventing, hunter/jumpers, saddleseat, reining, buffalo herding, etc. but my heart lies in dressage. I could definitely NOT be an exercise rider, upper level eventer, roper or vaulter. Those disciplines are way too high energy for me. And I don't mean that I am "lazy" by doing dressage, by high energy I mean a high "chi." Your mental game has to be super quick and almost frantic and reckless. That type of energy stresses me out sometimes. And the exercise riders and eventers face a level of danger that makes me uncomfortable.
Why did you pick the discipline you did?
I am an A-type personality, a lot of people would think that Dressage would suit me well, the quest for perfection. But it was not for me. I wanted to jump and I love jumping so naturally Equitation suited me :)
ReplyDeleteI chose eventing because it produces such all around horsemen and women. I love the thrill of cross country, and unlike most eventers, I like dressage. I'm an adrenaline junkie, so it works. :)
ReplyDeleteLove this. I feel like a lot of riders have a hard time finding their discipline.
ReplyDeleteI picked Dressage before I moved to my riding school I used to do jumping and glad work but the jumping always made me nervous, I still enjoy doing it but I couldn't do just jumping! where as dressage has always fascinated me I love everything about it!
ReplyDeleteI will let you know when I pick one ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm not entirely sure why I picked eventing. Until last summer, I thought I wanted to be a hunter and win all of the A-shows! Then the rules of that world started to drive me crazy, so I decided that I might as well do what Limerick was trained for.
ReplyDeleteLike you said, unless I magically become a whole lotta crazy, I'm probably not going to make it past prelim! We'll see, but it would definitely take an incredibly special horse. I would like to make it to the upper levels of some equestrian sport, and right now I can only see myself doing that in the dressage world.
I don't know why I originally chose hunters at the age of 8 but I did... today I chose it because I like knowing that X+Y=Z and I have a trainer that is awesome, she makes you a well rounded rider who could enter any ring and have the ability to hold your own!
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