In a message dated 10/20/2003 12:02:40 PM Pacific Standard Time, arabdncr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Listen and Learn and with all the wealth of knowledge and hands on experience brought to light on ride camp it seems to defeat the purpose of educating if all we do is criticize.
Just an additional thought to add to this good missive - there is something to learn from otehr disciplines as well, much as we hate to admit it:), and one of those things is quality and consistent training for both horse and rider. It is rare to see a horse and rider combination go into a dressage class with either or both partners poorly or not at all prepared. Whiele their training is primarily mental, its very consistency lends itself well to endurance, where so much MORE is demanded of both partners - more of the equine athlete and more of the human "trainer/caretaker". Because so much more is required of even the lowly LD horses, :) it is so critical that riders continue to learn - it is not an AVENT - it is a PROCESS. To see it any other way is to set a given horse up for failure at least and its demise at worst. EVERY HORSE IS DIFFERENT, and must be accomodated as such. While nto every rider/owner has anything of real value to share, most do, and most are more than happy to share. There is therefore no excuse for not knowing - twice.
At the end of the day, it is a commendable goal to finish with a horse truly TRULY fit to continue, not fit to stumble over the finish line; and indeed, the true horsemaster or mistress, to not finish at all, when to finish could be...the finish. Perhaps there are more times than we admit when we just should have stayed home that day - for the sake of our forgiving, muted and so capable partners - the horses.
