Gotten a request to write more so ... here goes. haha.
I don't have experience in the trenches of many disciplines, so maybe my observations are off base. But is it just me or do dressage people expect to be constantly accommodated?
 |
| Photo by L. Dean. October 2023. I-2 |
Years ago, I was at a small dressage show (recognized) and there was a tent for a vendor set well away from the show ring, but along a walking path for both people and horses. It was Friday and we were schooling. I hear a lady start to shout that show management should take the tent down because "it is spooking my horse!"
 |
| Hampton fucking around at third level because behind the judge there was a wall he could see over and he wanted to look so I put my inside leg on him. Whose fault is that? Not anyone's but my sucky riding. |
More recently, I saw a post on the book of Face, regarding construction going on at the Kentucky Horse Park. They are making improvements for equestrians and for the park in general. Including building brand new barns. Yes, some of that construction was next to a walking path for the horses. And yup, it riled up some fresh dressage horses. Boy did people complain.
 |
| Horse fly attack. Also, no one's fault. |
I have never ONCE seen any Morgan or Saddlebred people act so entitled and except the environment to be accommodated for their "spooky horse." They just sit back and hang on. And while I have not been heavily involved, I would be willing to bet the western disciplines would never make such a comment. They also have hot, spooky horses, in spite of what many might believe.
I have certainly had many moments where Hampton spooked at something in the distance, or a sound, or seemingly nothing. I remember one instance where a plastic bag flew right into the show arena while I was doing a turn on the haunches. Hampton never flinched. My training and our partnership won in that moment.
 |
| Remember the time I threw event tack on Hampton and he stopped at the second fence AT STARTER and I fell off? He was doing I-1 at the time, by the way. He was buddy sour that day and I failed at riding. FAILED. |
But other moments it did not. You know whose problem that is? Mine. And only mine. Not the show, not any other competitor, not my coach, not the person who served me breakfast. It is MY training and MY partnership with the horse.
 |
| PSG |
In summary, we need to suck less. Ride better, be a better handler, do more homework. Suck less. Also, horses will sometimes spook and go AWOL anyway. We need to better prepare our horses and ourselves to handle different environments. And if it doesn't go our way, laugh it off and try again.
Quite expecting to be accommodated.
I too came from the saddleseat world. My friend and I laugh now because we would have never even considered the harness horses working in the parking lot next to the warmup ring as an issue LOL. Or the bags, whips, etc used for enhancement, it was just part of the experience.
ReplyDeleteAnd now...I notice it all because my OTTB will observe all the things all the time. But I don't complain, it is my problem to solve if we have one.
A lady I rode with would take me to huge "organized" trail events where ANYTHING goes. Minis pulling carts, packs of free-roaming dogs, parents riding double with tiny children on the pommel (not a helmet to be seen - except mine). Her particular kryptonite was racking horses flying by lol.
ReplyDeleteNot taking responsibility for your horse happens in all disciplines I think - but maybe dressage divas feel the most entitled to b*tch about it?
This is only tangentially related, but I was at a dressage clinic at the top of the year, and one of the demo horses got loose from his handler. He started to gallop around the grounds in a stud chain and 12ft lead (😳) and amid the many yells of "loose horse" not a single dq got up or moved a muscle to help. I was pretty much the only person, other than the grooms, doing anything to stop the horse from running through the vendor area (and it turns out he was pretty determined to do that anyway). Big yikes moment for me. He was ultimately unhurt but with a few other people pitching in he could have been caught in half the time.
ReplyDeleteSo yeah. We all gotta suck less, and get our heads out of our assess.
Amen sister!
ReplyDeleteA dressage competitor yelled at my husband once, because he was carrying an umbrella in the pouring rain near the show ring (unrated, schooling show). This was ridiculous on many levels but the most ridiculous was that our dressage horse was walking right next to said umbrella without a second thought. It was very rude behavior and towards an innocent spectator who was merely trying to help his horse crazy wife.
ReplyDelete