Tomorrow, the Olympic Games in Rio will begin. And of course I'm excited to see the best of the best equestrians in the world compete. Can Valegro pull it off again? In the two most recent tests he looked good, but more like a mere mortal top dressage horse, not the super-fluid uber-horse he was when he started winning everything in London four years ago.
Even years ago, when asked about my riding ambitions, I said that I didn't care about going to the Olympics, but that I wanted to ride as well that I COULD go to the Olympics. Of course as someone who didn't even start until age 25, I've had a little bit of catching up to do. It's the one thing I wish my parents had figured out. On a recent visit, when watching a competition on TV (in Germany, they actually broadcast dressage shows on regular TV....), I said out loud: "See, if you had let me take lessons as a kid, maybe I could have made it to the Olympics!!" And my dad, in his ultra pragmatic ways, just replied: "And then what?" Yeah, never mind.
While I don't know anyone on the team personally, I do know the trainer who trained Blackfoot Mystery and sold him to Boyd Martin. She started my mare too. That's as close as I am to fame. This time. (Insert winky face emoji).
Right now I'm the girl that stays home and rides the horses that didn't go to the show. And for right now, that is quite alright with me. I get to feel myself into a variety of horses from the 4 year old who only has a few months under saddle but tries his heart out to get all the answers right to the sale horse who shows me the potential she will unfold for her future owner.
Often these horses are completely new to me or I haven't been on them in quite some time, so each requires speed diagnostics. I've realized that I am starting to develop my own method of assessing and meeting the horse where they are that day. I generally start on a circle, on a long rein (if safe), then ask for leg yields etc. then slowly work my way up to trot and canter. It's also good to keep the training scale in mind. If a horse is vibrating and wants to be off to the races, I ask for rhythm and relaxation first. Getting into each horse's mind and body quickly is an exercise in focus and feel that I enjoy tremendously. And I gain from each and everyone of those experiences.
Next year, however, I do want to show too. I want to challenge myself to put all that training together into a presentation to a judge. It's a whole art form in itself and I'll need to start practicing that. So that in 4 to 8 years... well, that's a long shot. But I'll work toward my old goal: To ride so well, that I could go!
