After eight years as an equine vet, Kelleyerin Clabaugh of Aramat Farm decided to put her life on hold to pursue her dream of mucking stalls and learning to ride from an upper level three-day event rider. She is now a working student for eventer Meika Decher of Polestar Farm in Lake Stevens, Wash. EN will be following along as Kelleyerin navigates the ins and outs of being a working student, and has the time of her life along the way. Go Kelleyerin!
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Kelleyerin Clabaugh is temporarily giving up her career as a vet to be a working student for Meika Decher of Polestar Farm in Lake Stevens, Wash.
From Kelleyerin’s blog:
After eight years of practicing medicine, I was tired. So I decided to take a sabbatical from veterinary medicine to spend some time with my own horses and improve my riding skills. Despite being 15 years older than the typical working student, I was lucky enough to get a position with eventer Meika Decher of Polestar Farm in Lake Stevens, Wash. Meika looked past my crows feet and saw the hardworking young girl who had dreamed of a life galloping horses across fields and jumping anything that got in her way. So after a few antacids, I gave up a great job, put my life in storage, said a temporary goodbye to the love of my life and drove north to Polestar. I arrived in Lake Stevens to find 400 acres, two incredible barns, 30 horses and a handful of wonderful people.
So “why become a working student?” you ask. While I have been riding for 23 years, I have never had the opportunity to ride a really well-trained performance horse. I have never really known if when my horse does not execute the precise movement I wanted if it was me or him that failed. Did he hear me correctly but ignored me, so I need to ask louder and expect more cooperation? Did he hear me but not understand me, so I need to ask clearer? Am I speaking in tongues to him and I need to start his training over completely?
Riding Taukalot aka “Taco” today gave me my first glimpse of what riding should feel like when done well. If I was not precise with my expectations and communication, he gave me exactly what I requested — sloppy sidepass, lurching canter transition, pogo-stick trot. But when I got my act together, I experienced what loft, spring, swinging through the back, lightness, collection, compression and extension felt like. And it felt wonderful. Here is what I am striving for. This is what it is supposed to feel like. Having the opportunity to ride an upper-level horse like Taco with Meika riding beside me coaching is life changing.
I hope after three months of these sessions, I will have lost much of the hesitation and uncertainty I have when riding my own horses. I want to be fair to them and as gentle as needed, but I also want them to excel. I need to know what to expect and how to ask for it. Riding green horses my whole life has given me light hands and seat, a velcro butt when needed, and a humble attitude, but riding accomplished horses with an internationally respected trainer by my side will give me so much more.
