Ride the test of your choice, then receive a 30-minute lesson from Meredith on how to improve your scores. At the completion of the lesson, ride your test again and see the improvement!

Ride & Review Clinic with Meredith Crawford
Date: March 31, 2012
Location: Donida Farm Equestrian Center, Auburn, WA
Cost: $60 per Review
15% Discount for Members of 4-H, Pony Club and WSHSET

HURRY! Space is limited to 10 rides! Register now! Click here to download entry form!

Deadline for accepting all registrations will be March 26, 2012.

Instead of giving up in frustration and putting your horse back in the stall, we just may have another solution. Christopher Lewman, assistant trainer to Gwen Blake, is now available for “catch rides” and “post rides” at the shows. Help your young or green horse gain confidence at a show without putting yourself at risk.

Christopher has a kind and patient way when working with the young or frightened horse. Cost is $40.00 per ride. Multiple discount. He is now taking on young horses in training at Donida Farm. Contact Christopher Lewman at Christopher.lewman@donidfarm.com (soon to be a working e-mail address) or Gwen Blake for appointments and questions..

The view alone is worth showing at Donida!

I went onto the USEF website tonight to double-check on something for the Brentina Cup. Click, click, uhhhh…. The participating ages changed from 20-28 to 20-25. I am ineligible.

I understand the powers-that-be at USEF changed the qualifying age to be harmonious with the FEI’s U25 division. However, I wonder if USDF will also change the age limit of the Young Rider Graduate Program to reflect the Brentina Cup change.

Ultimately the age change saddens me because it– along with the Graduate Young Rider Program– was the only program specifically geared for “young professionals” (often defined as under-30). Many I know did not step into the “professional” shoes until they were 23-25 years old; the extra three years provided some “wiggle room” to get their feet underneath them before taking advantage of such programs and support.

For me, the appeal of the Brentina Cup was just that—it was a lofty yet attainable goal for young professionals that provided the structure, accountability and support needed to become an Intermediare II/Grand Prix competitor.

I wonder, though, how many youth will be deterred from finishing—or even going to—college because of the Young Rider and Graduate Young Rider (Brentina Cup) program age limits. While the increasing focus on youth in dressage is opening up wonderful opportunities for them—such as the Emerging Dressage Athlete’s Program—I wonder if American dressage won’t be shooting itself in the foot by discouraging young riders from going to college and gaining the valuable “real world” experience that college and other jobs not at a barn give.

As someone who did go to college, have a “real job” for a few years, then came back to the horses, I am find a distinct disconnect between the worlds, but am thankful for both. One of the most valuable skills Mount Holyoke College gave me was how to take initiative, to take my passion or interest and make it happen. My college friends who rode didn’t choose a career in dressage and many of my professional equestrian colleagues didn’t go to college! I’m so grateful for equestrians like Courtney King-Dye who did get their degree and encourage youth to do the same (refer to Dressage Today, November 2011)!

As for my goals now, I am going to take the energy I spent trying to “get there [BC]” and re-direct it into making Stormy become the absolute best he can be, regardless of the level or timeline. Maybe that means we’ll still show the large tour next year (2013) or we might just stay at the small tour—but whatever we do, we won’t be giving any points away once we come down centerline.

Simply put, I asked Gwen to ride one of my horses while I was away taking the “L.”  I wanted to come back from my trip to an assessment of how I was doing as a trainer. What holes or gaps was I leaving in this horse’s training? Where did I need to raise my expectations or alter my approach? Did I successfully train this horse to go well for another rider?

It’s like a pop quiz.

In this instance, the “spot check” came back very positive—the young horse went well for her; my demands and expectations for the horse were largely fair and accurate for her level of training and experience. However, it was time to raise the bar and expect the horse to be more on my seat and more solidly connected to the bridle.

Since then I have asked Gwen to do other spot checks, on other horses. Sometimes, I want her to do one so she can tell me where I’ve “band-aided” the horse together—where I’m overcompensating for the horse’s weaknesses by holding the horse together or using incorrect aids to achieve the desired effect. Other times its because I’ve become stumped and want to know where I’m going wrong or how to better teach a concept to the horse—in this scenario, a spot check gives Gwen the full 360° view to what is happening, so she can most effectively teach me to train the horse.

It’s one thing to give a horse to a trainer and say “Fix it” or “Train it.” It’s altogether different to give a horse to a trainer and say “Fix me.” The first covers over the blemishes of the rider/young trainer, while the second empowers.

 
This 1999 Beautiful Palomino medium gelding is a welsh/cob. He can do a little of everything and is a great first time show pony for any child. Great in the arena and out on trails. Jumps hunter courses and has a change.

 
Shasta is a medium 2002 American Blazer Pony mare. She is a great first show pony for a child. She can do a little of everything and has a great attitude. Started hunter courses with the change. Great on trails.

 
2007 Hungarian Welsh Large Pony. She has been started over fences. Her sire Alvesta Picasso is a top leading sire of Pony Hunters on the East Coast.

 
Unbelievable disposition. Already been shown. Super attitude. This is a fancy hunter prospect. Safe for children. Very brave over fences. Not spooky. Kindhearted and easy to work around.