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Back in the 'good ol days', many JO and AO riders kept horses at home, rode frequently and learned from the school of 'hard knocks' how to ride. I grew up spending hours daily on the back of a horse, sometimes with a saddle but often bareback, running through the fields and woods, up hill and down. My seat and legs became quite good by sheer necessity. We have gone from the rural to the urban owner, where trainers have the horses and riders schedule lessons monthly or weekly and have little opportunity to just ride for hours. My daughter and I both experienced this for a while. We were with a trainer hours from home and took lessons twice a month. My daughter became a passenger, not riding well at all. When we were able to take the horses home, many of my daughter's 'passenger' problems were solved, for she had to think and ride by herself, things she did NOT do when she had the trainer telling her every move. We have both done much better doing our own training and getting lessons from a trainer on a regular basis.
Now, getting on to today's show ring. We are seeing lots of amateurs who do not have the ability to control their horse in a bad situation. I feel we are seeing more insecure seats and poor hands than ever. The prime focus for many riders has become getting into the show ring and winning, not learning how to develop their seat, hands and how to read and control their horse. What can be done to turn the passengers into riders and make the show ring safer for all involved?
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Beth Lang
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Training Riders, Passengers vs Riders
Sep 12 2006, 08:49 AM
