For our first blog post, we have collected for you 10 inspiring and, more importantly, valuable tips from our great coach Dominique Filion. Dominique is a professional Dutch-born rider for more than 30 years now. Since her childhood, she dedicated all her life to dressage, being an awardee in numerous European Championships, Nation Cups and international competitions up to 5*. She is also known as one of the most friendly and gracious riders around Europe, as well as an informative and well-educated rider who is extremely happy to share some of her knowledge with us!
Tip number 1: “Be patient with your horse; good things take time.”
In these tips, we talk a lot about patience and control. Patience is one of the vital ingredients in the recipe for success. You cannot bake a loaf of bread if you do not wait for the yeast to rise the dough, the same way you cannot succeed with your horse if you are not patient with it and do not take enough time to practice together. Every exercise you do, every element you perfect, leads you toward the result you wish to achieve. Sometimes it may take a day or two, and some other times it could even take months or years. However, it would be best if you remained calm and patient. Remember, it is not the destination; it is the journey!
Tip number 2: “Make a plan before riding.”
It is important to be structured and to structure your training process. Imagine a text with no punctuation, no paragraphs, even without spaces in between words. It would be challenging to understand the meaning of the text as a whole and separate one word from another as it has no structure and no actual meaning. The same analogy would apply to you and your horse. If you come to train with no plan in mind, it would not be productive or as beneficial as it could be with a step-by-step process.
Prepare a list of things that you would like to pay more attention to today
Work within a set timeframe (average 45-60 mins), and if you do not succeed this time, do not panic. There is always tomorrow!
Structure your work within elements and paces
Note your progress and be happy with your work!
And be patient!
Tip number 3: “Take enough walk breaks.”
The key to a productive training session is a good rest time between sets/exercises. It allows your horse and yourself to rest, prepare for the upcoming elements and exercises, and understand that the training process is going according to plan. As well as that, your horse takes these walk breaks as a token of appreciation for its hard work!
Tip number 4: “Do not ride when you don’t have enough time or when you are very emotional.”
Things that are rushed and/or driven by emotions do not lead to a satisfying experience and/or outcome. As you are dealing with an animal, you have to be at the best of your abilities to overcome these emotional outbursts. If you do not, it will not only stress you and your horse, but it also won’t be effective training. Therefore, you need to give it your best effort and time to succeed and be patient and calm.
Tip number 5: “Get a good coach.”
Even the greatest athletes that train other athletes have coaches. It is essential to get help and supervision in order to train correctly. You can know a lot and theory, and even in practice. However, it would help if you still had someone to watch over you and guide you throughout the process. As well as that, you need to find a coach that shares your passion, gives you an excellent opportunity to learn, who is also patient and caring! It is the person who can lead you to success, so you need to be very patient and careful when searching for the coach that fits your criteria and “clicks” with you and your horses. And remember, not every great athlete is a great coach, but a great coach makes great athletes!
Tip number 6: “Stay calm when an exercise doesn’t go well the first time.”
What goes well the first time around? That’s right, rarely anything! That is why in the previous posts, we were talking about patients! Patience is the key to success, and that is what everyone has to keep in mind! Letting your frustrations out on a horse only leads to more stress, frustration, and unpleasant results.
Analyse what you did wrong, stay patient and be forgiving to yourself and your horse!
Tip number 7: “Make sure that what you ask of your horse is fair and appropriate for its age and level.”
Let us ask you a question. Do you expect a 3-year-old child to know a periodic table? Or can you ask a 5-year-old to be perfect at something? Usually, the answer would be “no”, but we know that there can always be an exception to every rule. However, in these cases, we can firmly answer these questions with a “no”. The same rules apply to horses. It is a long but exciting learning journey toward the desired result. First, you teach your horse the basics, then perfect the basics, and from there, you can start to expand the knowledge with more complicated details. But before all that, you first have to learn and work on all of that yourself!
Tip number 8: “Make sure your horse is fit and healthy.”
Your horse is as much of an athlete as you are. Therefore, it also requires medical attention and checkups! However, the crucial difference is that your horse cannot tell you with words if it is hurting, so it is your job to make sure that everything is well. Your horse’s health is 99,9% of your success as a tandem. Ensuring that your horse is in good health also provides you with assurance and peace of mind. If you feel that something is wrong, it is better to get it checked because something small might lead to severe complications, which can further affect everything! Keep your partner safe and healthy!
Tip number 9: “Make sure you have your gear in order.”
This means that the saddle, bridle and bit fit your horse. You do not wear clothes that do not fit you, as it would make you feel uncomfortable and could even harm you and your health. This would also apply to your horse. For example, a poor fitted bit and bridle can harm your horse’s oral cavity; an incorrect saddle can cause significant damage to your horse’s musculoskeletal structure, etc. This tip goes hand in hand with tip number 8: “make sure your horse is fit and healthy”, they are stressing the matter of health and safety of your horse and, therefore yourself. If you are unsure what is right and what is not, what fits and whatnot, you should consult with a specialist and not be ashamed to ask for help!
Tip number 10: “Don’t get angry when your horse is afraid.”
Remember you are dealing with a living, breathing and very cowardly creature! 🙂 We know how frustrating it can be when your horse thinks that everything in the arena wants to eat it or when every puddle is full of sharks and monsters. But… Patience, patience, patience and practice, practice, practice! Your horse gets used to the scary factors, and it is more exposed to them with practice, experience and age. Your job is to remain calm and show your horse that everything is well and that there is nothing to fear.
BONUS TIP: “Have fun!!!”
Maybe THE most important tip! “Do what you love and love what you do”! Without love and passion, there are only so far you can reach, and so far you can go. If you enjoy it, so will your horse. If you are happy, so is your horse. And if you have fun, so is your horse! The best part of all this is that you can enjoy, be happy and have fun with your partner, your soulmate – your horse!