Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Learning to realize; hot maybe not!

Hot.... the three letter word that can bring a cringe to any average horse rider today, let alone quite a few professional trainers! I like what some "consider" hot horses and I am certainly given that reputation over the years. Recently a client of mine was told (not so indirectly) that I had the reputation of pushing my students to practice difficult exercises and putting them on hot horses.

I was not surprised. Literally, it is no surprise, as I am openly appalled at the lack of real horsemanship taught these days by many. My students are not "coddled" for the very reason I never was, growing up and learning to ride. I have had many students from other programs claiming they have ridden for years and yet don't know the basic things I teach in the first few months.To be good at any sport, in fact, good at a very dangerous sport, you have to be ready, tough and very "real" about your undertaking and your current abilities. When it comes to horses; I disagree with many on what is hot. Let me tell you a short story:

I remember speaking to an elderly equestrian one day ten years ago, who came out of his house as I was riding down a country lane on a very alert, young warm blood cross. I chanced to meet Curtis Nelson, whom used to run the old Sacramento riding club (a popular haunt for local equestrians in the 60's and early 70's such as Barbara Worth, Skip Wright and many others, ), A tall willowy man, he stepped off his porch and came out to the gate to speak with me. He said "We don't see much of that any more", When I asked what? he replied "People riding out for a hack, he looks spirited....how old is he?" I said, "Just and four a half years, still going on two"! Curtis laughed and then replied, "You know we all rode Thoroughbreds back in the day, we never had these warm bloods to ride, they weren't invented yet". "Usually something "hot" off the track was all most could afford and the amateurs then thought nothing of riding a 4' foot fence, that was common. Nothing like they do these days, these little 2'6" jumps! Anything under 3' at a show was usually for the ponies! That conversation went on for another 30 minutes and I will always be fond of it. It personified my belief that as an industry it has become all about making money and not making horses and riders.There is something more.... The American Thoroughbred, a treasure of a breed is largely overlooked by most buyers, referred en-masse to as "Too Hot". Which is just a shame! I have ridden "HOT" Quarter horses, Arabians, Saddlebreds, Mustangs, Tennessee Walkers, Iberian Warmbloods, Morgan and many Dutch, German, Irish bred horses, etc., just about any horse breed you can imagine will have a variety of personalities.... I have ridden horses straight from the track that were amazing "packers"and some that definitely were only "born to run". Another article about them someday.

What I find is the average "hot" horse is not. It is simply the uneducated rider/handler that considers them so. Often I think they are just a lively horse, not "crazy".  The term "hot" came from that early era of racing and it referred to a horse right from a race, they were hot and had to be walked (usually by a boy) and that is were the term came from. They were mostly trained by a professional and often took a professional to re-school them but just an average intermediate rider would often ride them. It seems revealing that most of today's average "intermediate" riders prefer a "packer"? My definition of a "packer" is more befitting of a mule carrying supplies down the mountain trail! Today it is horse that will continue at a given pace and direction and despite the absolute recklessness or inability of the rider to stay in control and will continue to perform on it's own accord. The individual designated trainer is then allowed to focus more on their income strategy than teaching the rider horsemanship. which I can say I strongly oppose the overuse of "packers"! They may have there place in the pony rings and the first time adult riders, not after someone has become skilled enough. That skill level is directly affected by the teachers knowledge base.

 Keeping a client on a "packer"for years keeps them on a fixed path and the revenue flowing in, doesn't it? The reality is that collectively, the industry trainers have lowered an expectation for riders to actually learn to ride. What I can say is; it's mostly a dressed up dude string you find in many barns like many vacation rentals, the horse who mindlessly follows the horse ahead of them on the trail, is also parading into the show ring with a rider of slightly more knowledge than a pedestrian. I rode so called "hot" horses as a young child, safely. How far can we dumb down the horse and rider for the sake of job security, just to make a buck?

I like to have successful clients, but I can assure you that anyone coming through my program will need to accept each aspect of horsemanship and develop the skills of an adept rider or they will need to move on to a program following the prevailing trend. The trend more concerned about style, appearances. Believe me; I am certainly not an advocate of recklessness! I am an advocate of EDUCATION which in my book means SAFETY! What gives? It is not that hard!!! If you can teach at all.... teach or try to learn how to accept a challenge, to realize limitations and encourage your student or yourself to grow beyond them! You don't have to be jumping a 4' wall to be a horseman, but you have to care more about the horse than the brand of tack your putting on him and what someone's opinion of your breeches are! Hot often is not, because many who call themselves teachers, are not taught and subsequently are not teaching..... and therein lies a Catch-22.

When you are afraid to expect your student to ride nothing more than a "packer" you're the one who's in need of an education. USEF/USHJA/USEA/USDF offer excellent guidelines through  individual Trainer Certification and continued education clinics. I highly recommend you attend and participate in the programs. These are all designed to promote the longevity, safety and success of our equestrian pursuits, George Morris said it in so many words, "Our job as trainers are to turn out Horsemen and Women not just show winners".

Clay Jackson

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