Future Me…

…dealing with the issues of Jerkwad Present Me since forever.
So I think most of us who have ever trained a horse can agree that there are times when it just isn’t pretty; an awkward moment, an overly exuberant youngster, essentially crap happens. But if those awkward, ugly moments are making up the majority of your ride then I think you need to do a little honest self-reflection. And if you’re consciously using said moments you’re probably just an asshole (even if you are a ‘good’ rider). While I’m not a grand prix rider (yet!), and I acknowledge that I’m not an expert on training horses to that level, it seems to me that this sort of riding is just unnecessary bullshit. Getting a horse lower and deeper to show him how to lift his back is one thing, making him play a sadistic form of equine Twister is something else entirely. The fact that it continues to be rewarded in the international arena is a real shame.