Today is a typical summer Saturday for me here in Macon,Ga; I headed to an early yoga class this morning, swung by Starbucks for some much needed caffeine and then came to the barn to teach and ride. Well I managed to squeeze in lessons before the skies opened up but didn't get to hop on Spence. However, one of my lessons today reopened a thought that I often have about the responsibilities of today's horse professionals. One of the students today is new to the barn and wants to participate in our summer camp, so we had a little trial run. With all of my new students that "know how to ride" I always ask tons of questions as we gather all of the brushes and tack to get a feel for what they actually know....parents are great at telling you that their kid is the best rider they have ever seen!
My biggest (ok I have a few) pet peeve is when I get a student that claims they have been doing walk/trot/canter but can't tell me how to properly groom a horse with the correct brushes in the correct order....ahhhhh.
So I thought about it and while horse professionals have a ton of responsibilities, at times they seem endless, I believe we have a huge responsibility to the next generation of horsemen and women; please note that I did not say the next generation of riders.
Our first responsibility is to encourage and demand that our students love, respect and care for their horses. If you aren't passionate about the horses then the horse world really isn't for you. If you are only interested in ribbons and the glitz of the show ring then you have stumbled into the wrong world. We need to show our students that horses take time and work. Even George Morris has stated "If riding were only blue ribbons and bright lights, I would have quit a long time ago."
Our second responsibility is show our students how to properly take care of their horse. Every ride should start with a thorough grooming BY THE STUDENT! Then the student should properly tack up their horse. They should learn how to put on boots and polos. If we hold their hands and do it for them we are only doing a disservice to the equine industry's future. I know that there are plenty of barns that students can go to where their pony will be tacked up upon their arrival and untacked and bathed when they leave, but what is that student really learning, they are learning that all they have to do is ride and someone else will take care of the dirty part. It can be tough when you are competing against those barns for clients but if every single barn and lesson program starts with good horsemanship then everyone wins.
Our third responsibility is to show our students that the horse always comes first. There will be times when they have a bad ride, they are starving or they want to go out on a date with that boy but the horse must always come first. When the horse no longer comes first then its time to move on.
Our fourth responsibility is to educate our students about all aspects of horse care, not just what goes into their lesson. We need to teach them about colic, meds, sweat wraps, lameness issues, etc. If they ask you questions be there to answer them and allow them to learn how to help themselves and their horses.
And lastly we must show our students that every horse has worth. Every single horse out there will teach you something different, maybe you need to learn the proper posting rhythm or how to relax into the outside rein. Not every horse will go on to Grand Prix dressage or jump around Rolex but gracious knows neither will every rider! No matter how "advanced" a student thinks they are there is always something to learn and sometimes from the horse that you least expect. Remember don't judge a book by its color. I can't stand hearing students complain about a lazy horse or say "He won't listen to me he's too stubborn." In fact students usually only make that mistake around me once and very quickly learn the lesson that whining gets you no where. Let your students have a chance to learn something from each horse even if they are "advanced."
The best and most effective way to encourage true horsemanship is to live it every single day. Your students watch you constantly and most of them will emulate what you do everyday in the barn. Set the example and then demand it from your students until it becomes second nature. It is our responsibility to inspire, teach and raise the next generation of horsemen and women to be great horse people.
