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| Photo courtesy of Sara Fogan |
When
I competed in my first dressage competition in 2011, I rode Candy, a
part-Arabian mare I was leasing from Silver
Gate Farms, the barn where I was training at the time. I can still remember
the patterns for the classes we entered. Candy was (is) a wonderful, kind
little mare who helped me get over some of my anxiety about showing my first
time out. After all, she was a pro—a schooling horse who had been to (and won
ribbons at) various competitions. I knew I could trust her to take care of me
while we were in the arena and practicing in the schooling arena. So long as I
remembered the patterns and when to apply my aids correctly I would be good to
go.
Now
it is the end of 2014. The United States Dressage
Federation recently announced that the new dressage tests were published
for the 2015 competition season, starting December 2014. I admit that my
stomach dropped a little when I heard that news. I could still vividly remember
each of the patterns I rode three years ago, and now I would have to learn new
ones. During a dressage seminar at the 2011 Equine Affaire, Axel Steiner, a
former dressage champion, explained that the organization updates the tests every
three years. In fact, he had been on the panel that helped to construct the
“new” tests, which would be out at the end of that year. He said that these
revisions were made to hone and fine-tune elements that would challenge the equine
and human participants while making the transitions less physically strenuous
for the horse. I was and am all for making things more comfortable for the
horse; however, the idea of having to memorize new patterns was a bit anxiety-inducing,
to say the least.
Next time I ride
in a show, I will be aboard my own horse, Galahad. Unlike Candy, who had been
trained primarily as a hunter, Galahad is a dressage horse. He has the
conformation for and self-carriage that is desired in the sport: every one of
his movements comes from his hindquarters, from his measured walk to his
rocking-horse canter. When he is training, the gelding often learns new
schooling patterns quicker than I do. He enjoys doing transitions, and is happy
as a clam executing them on a long or a short rein. Having said all that, unlike
Candy, he has never been to or in a show arena. To borrow a sweet expression I
once heard a competitor use to describe her horse, which was also his first
competition, Galahad will be “a green bean” our first time out.
No worries. I
will approach training and preparing for our first competition the same way I help
my equestrian clients get ready. Even though our first competition is many
months away, I will start learning and memorizing the test(s) I plan to ride, now, so I don’t have to cram all of the
elements in at the last moment. My trainer and I will continue to school
Galahad as we have been doing, teaching and reviewing elements from the next
level and incorporate portions of different tests I plan to ride, with what we
are working on. I will take him on walks around the neighborhood to get him
more relaxed and comfortable away from “home,” as it were, and to show him that
the outside world is fun and exciting rather than scary and dangerous. (So far,
to my relief and delight, Galahad is more curious about what goes on around him
than afraid or wary.) And, as it gets closer to the time when I plan to take my
horse to our first competition, I will arrange to bring him to a show or two to
school him. I want to give him an opportunity to experience (see, hear and
smell) what goes on at these events before we actually compete—to reassure him
as well as me that everything is okay, comfortable and will be fun.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the
Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about
Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2014
