Dilettante

Someone who has been following my blogs asked me the other day…”what is the story on the reoccurring reference to the buggy horse that got away”? After I offered them the comical journey of how I even came across the buggy horse, they inquired why I would want a “buggy Horse”? It then occurred to me that in the time they have known me, they have only identified me with hunters. In reality, I have had exposure to several other disciplines, as well. While driving horses has never been one of them, I keep my options open due to that insatiable desire to learn something new. Hindsight, it was divine intervention that I did not act quickly enough on the buggy horse, since I do not have a cart/carriage and probably will not have the cash flow to purchase one anytime soon. Harley was ultimately purchased by Disney World as one of their carriage horses.

The riding trainer where it all began 48 years ago, was a diverse rider/trainer. Once our green projects were deemed “broke”, we would set off with her to a Fox Hunt one weekend, to an Event the next weekend and a Horse Show the following weekend. On weekends when there was not a scheduled off-site event, she would organize a group of her students to go on a trail ride…complete with packed lunches. Another activity would be to go with her to another one of their farms about an hour away. We would bring in all of the Connemara babies and groom or bathe them. It would be on these visits that we would venture out to pick blueberries once the work was done. Her husband rode western and would hitch one of his  horses up to the carriage or wagon every so often with the students for the likes of checking/mending perimeter fencing or Christmas caroling thru the woods to homes off the beaten path. Down the road, there was a barn that specialized in saddle seat riding and it was not uncommon to wind up there on occasion with friends that rode with that founding family.

While my first love will always be Eventing, there comes a time in one’s life when you decide to choose a more conservative riding lifestyle because you now have dependents that require your presence… in one piece. I had the great privilege of progressing thru training level with one preliminary event under my belt before our barn reverted back to hunter shows. My parents were especially supportive of this discipline because of the lack of red tape politics…either you got the job done or you didn’t…period. While I enjoy the hunter shows, I preferred eventing simply because I am not patient enough to wait around all day for my classes…especially when there are ring conflicts. With eventing, your times are posted ahead of time so there is no getting the horse out to school/warm-up just to put them away and have to begin all over again 4-9 hours later.

Back to the purpose of this blog…I believe there is something to be gained from EVERY riding discipline.

For an example, time spent breezing Race horses helps to build the eventing rider’s endurance and stamina and there would always be the common cross training between the two disciplines, as a result. Since there was not a nearby race track, we would ride the horses to the polo field, shorten our stirrups, regain memory of the earth craters to avoid and race one another around the polo field. It was a good day if you did not have to hoist an injured rider aboard your mount to carry home.

The next day, we would perhaps be instructed to hack/jump around the same polo field in pairs to work on rhythm, while collecting the daisy cutter and lengthening the stride of the sewing machine. This would lend it’s support to the Dressage discipline, especially the pairs class at a Dressage show… which is an art form of and in itself. After enough lessons with the resident Dressage Trainer, you will never forget the wheel barrow technique…I still dream of her repeating those two words to me to this day…until it finally became easier for her to repeat the word “manure” on countless occasions. Basic Dressage and/or lateral work should always be included in any riding discipline. It is not only a good foundation but helps to keep the horse loosened up and supple and therefore, helps to avoid preventable injuries. Conversely, jumping in pairs aides with the steeple chasing sport.

Mounted games/Gymkhanas were part of our childhood growing up. Playing Cowboys and Indians thru the alligator pond will give you the experience of jumping out of a lake on cross country. Imagine how difficult it is to run thru the water in a swimming pool…and then jump out. The alligator pond is a great place to practice impulsion thru water, since the object is to get across the pond before you or your horse fell prey to the gators.

Steeple chasing is also good for the Eventing horse. It is basically the same as cross country except that your horse is not galloping at a massive solid timber obstacle. Since these courses are not native to a coastal island either, your next best option would be to jump the oncoming hedges, as you happen upon a herd of wild boar during your trot sets thru the woods, and your mount takes off back towards the barn.

Trails are good for trot and gallop sets to keep the Event horse fit. You can also work on rider suppleness dodging and clearing out the banana spiders/webs.

Endurance riding is not for the feint of heart. Just as the discipline title suggests, this sport is for the survival of the fittest …for both horse and rider. If you should have something to gain from this sport, I tip my hat to you. It would take months of crunches to prepare for that feeling of dismounting and walking on land after a 50 mile ride…and I would prefer to eat my Nutella, as I watch your 100 mile victory on your Go Pro video. Furthermore, the horse may be apt to pass the vet check but the vet wouldn’t hesitate to call for a stretcher and send me home 2 hours after leaving Base Camp.

I would like to say upfront, this next statement is not to offend any of my present day hunter peeps. Saddle Seat riders, hands down, rock the equitation world. I have observed former saddle seat riders transcend into the hunt seat discipline looking like they were born in the saddle…not even George Morris would find fault with their perfection. Perhaps I should have focused more on saddle seat lessons when I was younger!

Western riding is the long and low of the hunt seat in today’s world AND the dressage discipline with working off the hind end. Having said that, I have trouble riding in the western saddle…especially mounting and dismounting with the horn in the way. This might be a good time to mention that I still ride in my 45 year old flat close contact saddle that looks like it has been to war and back.

Jumping adversely works for the dressage horse…especially when trying to engage the hind end. I have been known to jump a little after warm-up and then settle into lateral work with minimal effort of trying to get the horse to engage.

While a riding colleague is eager to try side saddle, I am hesitant to venture into this unknown territory. First off, it would not be within my budget parameters to purchase a side saddle but the preventative sports medicine side of me cannot understand the concept of concentrating weight and work on only one side of the horse…rider included. My rationale would tell me this may work if you were to alternate sides to maintain equal balance and muscle tone/memory. Having said this, there is absolutely nothing more classical than observing this discipline! I could absolutely try this for the formal, classical attire in itself!

While I admit I know very little about mounted archery, I do have a horse that had a one time owner that was a national contender for mounted archery.  I knew this horse not only had beautiful conformation but she had to be safe and sane to have arrows released between her ears while galloping without rider’s hands for control or guiding.  All she knew was walking and running when I acquired her and there had been NO prior jumping experience. We pulled her heavy weight shoes fit for rough Michigan terrain. In time, this golden gal can now hack and jump in good company.

Polo is another discipline that is not suitable for an amateur rider, like myself. First off, I have vertigo; therefore the twisting and contorting at speed while swinging a polo mallet makes me dizzy just thinking about it. Additionally, I would be prompted to wrap my horse in bubble wrap or a suit of armor while they perform around flying balls and/or mallets. This sport would not be well suited for the horse that trips while cantering down the center line. The same rationale would apply to the barrel racing sport for me, as well.

Another discipline I know very little about is equine vaulting. However, I would imagine the agility, suppleness and fitness of these performers would aide in any riding discipline and come in handy when you need to perform an emergency dismount from the Conjuring.

Pleasure riding may fancy those that ride part time or perhaps those that used to compete but chose to step back due to life stuff, i.e. having children, full-time career, finances, etc. While, this fulfills the passion for the horse and sport… and tending to the entailed responsibilities in the background, it is also an opportunity to pursue continued education and/or implementing skills learned thru the competition years.

Finally, driving, which is the topic that brought this blog to light, is also a discipline I know very little about but something I am very interested in. I had lesson arrangements made, beginning with long lining some time back. As fate would have it, however, that trainer ventured on to other endeavors before we ever commenced with the first lesson.

Deliberating and discriminating my next riding discipline with the moving vet bill(s)…and what emotion the venture will cure… is like a trick question at my age. Until I decide, I will continue sorting thru the jenga of remembering the lateral sequence and keeping my leg on out of the corner when jumping, all while volunteering to keep the trails clear of spider webs for other riders.

With any luck, I can retire my parental obligation to help support college funding for the tiny humans that required modification of any remaining goals from days long ago. I hope to engage in some rusty stirrup lessons and dust off the prior dressage judge’s commentary, “nice plow horse”…and migrate from riding for meaningful pleasure to the potential Tadpole event one day (not to confuse with Kelly’s accomplished nick name “tree frog”). This would be just my speed for returning to the game of “contents under pressure” after all these years. When your saint suddenly becomes a feral after the air horn cues your start time from the holding box and you suddenly find yourselves running thru the water, over the hills and under the boundary tape…smile…remember you paid good money to be doing this again!

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