Re: Rider/horse training..was--I made a decision

["Maggie Mieske" <mmieske@netonecom.net>]

Thanks for a really good reply....I didn't mean that you were actively
discouraging people from riding endurance...I guess I often read posts from
the viewpoint of a total newbie and how they might interpret our posts.  I
was thinking in terms of if they thought they had to have lessons and be a
good rider before they could ride endurance, they might never try. 
So....have any good videos you can recommend?  We had this discussion
during the winter but I didn't have anyplace I could really ride and
practice (at least not bundled into ten layers of clothes...my first
priority in the winter is just to be able to say I got on, we went down the
road and made it back without freezing to death!)...  :)


Maggie Mieske
Mieske's Silver Lining
10601 S. Richards Rd.
McBain, Michigan 49657
http://www.netonecom.net/~mmieske
mmieske@netonecom.net

----------
> From: Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>
> To: Maggie Mieske <mmieske@netonecom.net>; ridecamp@endurance.net;
superpat@gateway.net
> Subject: Re: Rider/horse training..was--I made a decision
> Date: Wednesday, March 29, 2000 2:12 AM
> 
> At 08:04 PM 3/28/2000 -0500, Maggie Mieske wrote:
> ><Having come from the dressage area to the endurance area, the lack of
> >riding skills amongst many of the endurance riders was extremely
evident>
> >
> >I am sure that Sue is well meaning here with so many of her comments and
> >they are probably true about many endurance riders....but that is why I
> >ride endurance.  I am not interested in being critiqued every time I get
in
> >the saddle.  I learn what I can and glean a lot from other riders,
dressage
> >instructors, trainers, etc. but (and if this is an excuse, so be it)
when I
> >have time for lessons, there isn't the money and when the money flow is
> >good, there's no time.  
> 
> I'd estimate that about 3/4 if my education has come from videos and
> books...not from lessons.  Yes, I *did* take lessons for several years
and
> worked with a trainer, but then consider that the education I have is a
bit
> more detailed than the average rider wants to know...the average rider
can get
> a ton of information from a few choice sources.  
> 
> >Perhaps some of us don't have any business being
> >out on the endurance trail but I think our riding "styles" as well as
our
> >freedom for preferences of tack, breeds, etc. are what make endurance
> >appealing to the majority of riders.  
> 
> We're not talking about some esoteric concept...we're simply talking
about the
> fact that how you position and use your body directly affects how the
horse
> responds and utilizes *his* body.  It's just plain (as my mentor and
trainer
> used to call his teachings) GOOD RIDING!  You can do this in any variety
of
> saddles (providing they don't throw you out of balance), in any kind of
> clothing, and with whatever tack or breed you want...and nobody expects
> anything remotely close to perfection!! ;-)  It's simply biomechanics and
how
> the horse learns and responds to cues.  Dressage is merely the
step-by-step
> process of training the horse (pretty basic concept)...and, for the
human,
> learning how to use your body to facilitate good use and development of
the
> horse's body.  And, I am by no means, out there critiquing every rider I
see,
> nor do I expect any of us (myself included) to ever remotely look like a
GP
> dressage rider.   
> 
> >There aren't any requirements in thos
> >regards.  Please don't discourage me or anyone else from riding
endurance
> >because we don't "fit in" to what your concept of a "good" rider may be.
> 
> I'm at a loss as to how you could have construed, from what I wrote, that
I
> would discourage anyone from riding endurance!  What I *want* to do is to
> encourage riders to learn more about how their body affects the horse's
> body...and what is considered good balance and technique.  I got a
chance,
> earlier today, to reread Donna Snyder-Smith's article on travelling
downhill
> correctly at the trot...I think (to lazy to look it up right now ;-)) it
> was in
> the December, '98 EN.  I had read this before, but I was reading it again
to
> make sure I understood everything that was related.  Even tho I teach,
I'm
> still learning...and still "studying" every day.  Where I have the
toughest
> time is with understanding why someone, who is going to spend numerous
> consecutive hours on their horse, would not want to improve their riding
> techniques and skills for the sake of their horse.  Just because
something has
> been done by someone the same way for 10 years, does not necessarily make
it
> correct.  The best thing we can do for our horses is to learn as much as
we
> can
> about them and how to influence them in the best manner possible -- and
> then do
> our best with our own time financial limitations, and (as Heidi said)
> pathology
> that limits our abilities.
>  
> >I'm not as thin skinned as I used to be or some of the things you said
> >might very well have offended me (ok, maybe they did a teensy weensy
> >bit)...I do think you mean well.  
> 
> I'm sorry if I offended you...certainly was not my intent.  
> 
> I don't know if I am a good rider or not
> >to be honest with you... I am sure we could ALL improve in one way or
> >another.  I will never compete or show in any level of dressage, english
or
> >western equitation...but I do strive to have a balanced seat (hey, I
have
> >learned to post with my thighs!) and teach my horse to collect himself. 

> 
> It sounds right there as if you are doing a bit of studying and trying to
> apply
> it to your riding.  Good for you!!  Just learn a little bit at a
time...and
> then go practice (and one of the best times to practice is the during the
many
> miles that you are riding on the trails.)  If you continue to do that for
the
> rest of your riding career, I guarantee you that you will be a *very*
good
> rider in very short order...and will continue to improve for as long as
you
> ride.  One of the reasons that I prefer to teach the group that I do is
that I
> *tried* showing and totally hated it!  I want the stuff that they're all
> learning to be available to the riders that have no desire to show
either, but
> want to be better riders and get the most out of their horses that they
can.
> 
> I
> >think I have good communication with my horse(s) (at other times it is
> >totally absent....ever have one of THOSE days?) and I rarely come off
> >anymore (unless my horse is practicing his sidepasses in an attempt to
> >avoid killer chipmunks).  
> 
> Or, in my case, a refrigerator on the trail!  
> 
> >Give us poor slobs a break... to each his own.
> 
> Sorry, Maggie...I just don't understand where you got the impression you
did. 
> My biggest beef is with people who have a little bit of knowledge (not
> necessarily good ;-)) and have no desire to learn anything more.  Or the
ones
> that climb up on the horse and, just because they can sit in the saddle,
> consider themselves good riders...and that they don't *need* anymore
> education.  There are some top notch riders that have never had a formal
> lesson, but have read and watched whatever they can in an effort to
improve
> their own skills and knowledge of horse training.  I have read enough of
your
> posts to know that you are an active learner (so I'm very surprised at
your
> interpretation)...and the fact that you are reading Ridecamp regularly is
also
> an indication of your desire to learn and improve. 
> 
>  
> >:)  The joy IS in the journey...some of us just look better doing it
than
> >others!  :)
> 
> This is true...and I'll *never* look as good as I would like, but I keep
> practicing...and studying (and try not to be too jealous of the young
riders
> with the perfect bodies and the right training from the start cuz, no
matter
> what I do, I will still be a middle-aged, overweight rider that had her
first
> horse at age 36 and her first lesson at age 40!)  I know that every
little bit
> that I learn will benefit my horses as well me so I try to learn as much
as
> possible.  And I ALSO know that I could study forever and not learn it
> all...so
> I just take one day at a time and do what I can.
> 
> Sue
> 
> 
> "If all you can do is what you've always 
> done, then all you can be is what you are right now."
>                               author unknown
> 
> sbrown@wamedes.com
> Tyee Farm
> Marysville, Wa.
>