A Celebration of Firsts
As a culture, Dressage riders are constantly striving to move things along.
We want to advance a level, get qualified for Regionals or Nationals or a Team spot; we want to “perfect” our pirouette, or our shoulder-in, and we need to work longer-faster-harder to get to these hefty goals.
Perhaps that is why the (I believe) larger-than-normal proportion of Dressage riders are Type A personalities, go-getters in their chosen professional fields, Super Moms who do it all and look like Gisela Bundchen while they do it….
But what about reality?
What about the bare bones fact that most Dressage riders will not make a Team or go to Nationals? What about the typical Dressage enthusiast who struggles to get in 3 rides a week because work or school or family comes first?
What about the hard-working lawyer who wants to go to Regionals and works to juggle all the aspects of family, law and friends while fitting her horse in? What about the mom of grown up boys who has the skills and the time, but not the certainty to achieve these goals?
Where do these folks get their rewards when what we reward is RESULTS?
Maybe I am not unique, but I frequently giggle at the dichotomy that exists in my professional world.
In my long and tarnished riding career, I have worked for Olympic riders multiple times. I have competed extensively in recognized shows, both campaigning my own horses and those of others.
I have bought a pair of $300 breeches and not thought twice about it (except when I’m in bed at night secretly wondering how many wears I can get out of those damn pants to make them worth the cost!) I worked in Germany and had tea at Balkenhol’s barn.
I even have my d@mn USDF Silver Medal, folks!!!
My point is that I have seen the circus, and I have been to the show.
Nowadays, I still have plans – my Ehrensache horse is coming along, and I hope to get him back to Wellington to prove that next season.
My young horse Dante is going to be something quite special, and it has me calculating show seasons and years and what-ifs.
However, yesterday I taught my dear friend Gail for her weekly ½ hour lesson on her trusty-but-rusty mount and we celebrated her 77th birthday together!
This week I will teach a client that can only afford to take a lesson once a month, and she saves for this lesson all month just to have me come see her progress.
Have I fallen from the fold? Have I slid into anonymity in the Dressage world of dreams? Nah, I’ve just got a different view.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m as addicted to results as the next Dressage Queen. And while I, too secretly harbor dreams of someday making a Team, I have had the blessing of being brought to a different level of clarity, one which has made me a happier rider, teacher and trainer almost every day.
The Celebration of Firsts
This idea occurred to me the other day as I was riding and listening to music.
I heard Darius Rucker singing “When was the last time you did something for the first time…”
It really got me thinking, because I am recently married…for the first time (and last, God willing!). And it was an amazing experience, and I am so glad that it got to be my FIRST wedding with this wonderful man.
I started thinking about training, and how much I enjoy working with the young horses; I liken teaching a young horse something for the first time to watching champagne bubbles rise in the glass – it is quite intoxicating when a young horse catches on to a new bit of info and takes it on as their own.
Or when a client really gets the feeling of a movement for the first time, and their eyes light up with glee – I know they will take that happy into the rest of their day, and it will make them have a better day at work.
Why not celebrate our firsts as much as we celebrate our later successes?
Celebrate the FIRST time you get on your young horse and it stands quietly, because you have done the work to make it ok.
Celebrate your friend for going to their FIRST schooling show, even if they couldn’t remember the test and got called out of the ring. (This is ok once, don’t make a habit out of it, mmmkay?)
Celebrate the FIRST time you feel a horse become round and supple in their back and you recognize it.
Celebrate the FIRST time you used a double bridle and didn’t pull on the curb rein.
Celebrate the FIRST time you walk your horse down the road and don’t burst into tears because of fear.
Celebrate that this is the FIRST week you are going to get all 4 rides in, no matter how late or how hungry or how dirty you are!
The little things often get missed by us, but they never get missed by our horses
So celebrate the little victories, and they will lead you to bigger ones.
And when you watch Steffen Peters’ amazing freestyle ride on his latest superstar horse and you are completely in awe, remember that he, too, sat on that horse for the first time once. And I bet he smiled when he did it!
P.S. – I have a Team competition coming up week after next – Team Serendipity. I made a team!!!!! Let’s celebrate :)