valonia yesterday
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard Denny say the following: riding nice horses ups your game. In the beginning I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. Literally every single person that either trailered in for a lesson, or was a working student, in my eyes, was an amazing rider on an amazing horse. So, I thought to myself, how can these riders UP their game, if their game is already up?
When I first came to Tamarack there were two women that consistently trailered in for lessons-almost on a weekly basis. Both individuals had competed at the Advanced level and both were and are accomplished riders. The barn manager at the time thought I was cobwebbing, or sweeping, but really I was cobwebbing or sweeping the same spot over and over again, only so I could catch a glimpse of the lesson outside. There’s a reason why I never received the “working student of the year award.” Anyways, I would watch as these amazing riders would consistently get to the perfect distance to an enormous jump over and over again and look picturesque in the air. They were always on nice horses and they both always looked incredible. These two women were my idols. I wanted their horses and I wanted their eye, and I wanted to basically be them. You always knew when one of these riders were at the farm because the next day the jump ring looked like a Rolex show jumping course.
Again, I asked myself, how could riding nice horses up your game if you are already a great rider on a great horse? Fast forward about five years and I finally discovered the answer. Now, brace yourself, because this is going to be shocking. The question is simply in the statement. Quite literally, riding nice horses ups your game. There was and is a reason why good riders are good and that’s because they are on good, or great horses (and they worked their butts off). Great riders don’t waste their time with mediocre horses. Great riders find horses that have the ability to meet their goals.
Does this mean that everyone can magically go out and purchase the horse of their dreams? NO! I am in a unique and special situation because I worked my butt off to get to this point. I never traded in my saddle and the thought never occurred to me. I grew up riding school horses and then there was a long period where I rode some very tough horses because I could only afford to buy difficult, or tough horses, or lease tough horses. I learned to ride on whatever anyone would let me sit on. I was never picky but now I am.
Skybreaker warming up for a jump school
Probably the best thing that ever happened to me was the first summer at Tamarack, I was desperately struggling with my mare in a jump set and I stopped and Denny asked our friend Sue Berrill what she thought of my horse and what she would do if this mare was hers. Here’s what Sue said: SELL HER. I was sort of stunned and sort of relieved simultaneously. It never crossed my mind to sell this horse because I don’t know if anyone ever told me to my face to sell her.
Getting rid of that mare and getting on progressively better horses as the years passed has helped my riding by leaps and bounds. I would be nowhere if I had ignored Denny and Sue’s advice. Right now I sort of feel on top of the world. I have two horses that I never even imagined myself to be sitting on. If someone had told me 12 years ago that I would be not only sitting on, but competing two horses like Skybreaker and Valonia I would have probably started laughing hysterically. Riding nice horses ups your game. It can take decades (and it has) to get nice horses to ride. But once you start to become a better rider and you start to ride nicer horses, there is this amazing and inevitable snowball effect. Translation: Be realistic and don’t give up even when the going gets rough.
