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Nobody knows your horse better than you do, and nobody cares more about your horse than you do. You can’t expect a clinician, trainer or teacher to know your horse as intimately as you know him. That’s why it’s your job to look after your horse and be his advocate. It’s a lesson I have learned the hard way.
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9 comments:
It is a fine line that you ride when working with a trainer or clinician but I have learned over time to try and keep an open mind to new perspectives that outside eyes can offer but always listen to what your gut is telling you, especially if it is saying something is wrong.
This is an important story - and it's also important for parents to speak up for their children and their children's horses. So many people go along with what a trainer or clinician says to do, even when they know inside that it's wrong. You don't have to be disrespectful about it (although if you say no some may take it as disrespect), but you can just say no to things that you believe are wrong, including wrong training methods, trainers that scream and yell at students, etc. I learned this lesson the hard way myself with my daughter's horse Dawn, who was almost (it was so close) permanently mentally damaged by a trainer trying to force her to do something that she couldn't handle. There are still residual effects over 7 years later, and I regret my failure to act at the time.
I think we've all had times when this has happened to us. I've learned to stand up for my horses and myself and no longer listen to trainers who constantly push or yell, they've all been left behind. We had two horses that suffered because of this sort of training because we thought we didn't know enough at the time and listened to the trainer.
Untill one learns to have the confidence in themselves to make the best decisions, based on all the knowledge you do have in your equine partner and say not that way, not now...sometimes the effects can be devastating going along with the trainer or clinitian(I have found )that has a formula or jsut something they think you and your steed MUST handle or do. Too many times I fell for this and it was too much, too fast or just plain -wrong.
You are the best advocate always...keep your chin up and kiss your horses!!
KK
This is such a wonderful reminder! I have always been my daughter's instructor but from time to tome when I was working, she would get some coaching at some very nice facilities. Her last request to ride with a trainer when she was a junior lasted 4 lessons and 1 show. It was a particularly grueling pony medal course with 14 exhibitors. Coming out of the ring, this supposedly wonderful coach that took a limited amount of students (but unlimited amounts of money) said to her "That sucked" and then walked off. My daughter was in the callback test and placed fourth. I didn't pay the trainer her fee that day and we parted ways. We didn't need that comment. We needed her to tell her what was right and what was wrong and strategize the callback!
When I'm judging, I just love those trainers (& parents) that yell out change diagnols or leads or whatever because if I hadn't noticed it before then, they just pointed it out for me!
Yelling teaches nothing and I find it a safety issue to rattle a rider with that negativity. It takes away from their concentration.
Long....sorry....your point today is well taken!
I loved you comment. I have delayed taking lessons on my greenie, Drifter, because I don't want to get into a situation that she is not ready for. Certainly, we'll get there one day, but with the green ones it's easy to get them in over their head with someone who doesn't know them. There are so few trainers and clinicians that have the skills to keep the exercises simple, but the concepts profound.
I just read on another blog that you have a Morgan/Trakehner cross. The girl of my dreams is just such a creature; are there more of them? Who bred yours?
I'm a little shy about sharing but since you asked so nicely :)
I've never met another Morgan/Trakehner cross. But I did see one for sale on Horsetopia years ago. Doesn't seem very common. My guy is usually mistaken for all Morgan, or Andalusian once or twice.
He was bred here:
http://www.vermontsporthorse.com/
My boy is the only cross she bred. But he has relations. His nephew, "Sonny" a full morgan, is listed on her website if you want to see photos. She also has 3 (1-4 year old) full-trakehner half siblings. But I don't think pics are online yet. I really like them all but only have time and money for one - for which my husband is thankful! (Hope that doesn't sound too "sales pitchy" but I'm friends with his breeder so I can talk about the youngsters all day!)
Glad you all found the story as thought provoking as I did. Some times I worry that it is all too easy to make a mistake with my boy but I always try to do the right thing by him. :)
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