Competing at the top in jumping and dressage - is it possible?

[2Bays]

Hey!
I have a couple questions (i should make several threads - but i'm to lazy!), i will try to not make it to long.

Ok first of all, I am 17 years old and am in my last year of high school. I am lucky enough to have 2 wonderful horses and own (well, my parents do!) lovely facilities to train at. My plan has always been to try to make a career out of horses once i leave school, but now the end of school is so close I'm starting to stress. Due to a couple of reasons (horse getting sick, losing confidence and changing disciplines) i really haven't got as far this year as i would have liked to. Both my horses are very talented and defiantly have the potential to go professional eventually (to be truthful I'm weak link that is letting them down!), but at the moment i just feel like I'm caught in a bit of a trap of not progressing. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of how to get out of this and start progressing more? I ride them both around 5 days a week and have lessons a couple times a week.
Yes, i am well aware of the work that goes into becoming a professional rider, i don't expect to have a career in horses overnight!

My 2nd question, i have a warmblood gelding i originally bought to do eventing and dressage on. But after a eventing accident (he wasn't hurt - but it scared me) i decided i would only compete him dressage and show jumping. He has really excelled in both, and because of this i have been alternately competing him in the two. He is equally fantastic in both jumping in dressage, but i worry that as we start doing more advanced competitions that we will be "spreading ourselves to thin" in relation to trying to maintain both disciplines at a top level. Not sure whether we should focus on one? It seems a shame to do that though when he is doing so well in both! Thoughts??

Thank you so much if you read all of this! Any thoughts, suggestions or comments would be fantastic!!

 

[be positive]

I think with your current horse it depends what you mean by top level, if GP standard I cannot think there is any chance of doing both but up to a certain level, advanced dressage, grade B jumping they should be able to do both, event horses do and frequently do pure dressage or SJ out of season, so I would enjoy doing what you can with him.

As for your own career and ambitions possibly look at a different trainer if you are not progressing or feel stuck in a rut, new eyes, even if just a one off clinic, can give a fresh perspective and give you a boost.

 

[SatansLittleHelper]

If it was me I would go with where your heart lies the most. If he is talented in both spheres then you have a fall back.
For me personally Dressage is a bit like watching paint dry. I do appreciate seeing it done well but if I had to do it Id be bored to tears...so I would go with jumping

 

[millitiger]

If I were you and serious about making a career out of riding, I would go as a WP to one of the top riders.
If you have the talent and determination and choose the right rider, you will improve more than you can imagine!
You need to experience riding lots of horses and learning some of the systems ,that riders already competing at the top, use to produce horses to that level.

Regarding your current horse and whether to go down the dressage/sj route- what level is he competing at now in both sports? As another poster above said, until you really are getting towards the top level or two, there is no reason your horse can't carry on with both disciplines.

 

[Bobbly]

Don't be so hard on yourself, you are at a point in your young life where lots of decisions have to be made about your future. First off I would be concentrating on carving out a proper career path that will earn you enough money to pursue your horses, then if and when you are really proving your worth in either or both disciplines with your horse(s) you could maybe look to a placement with a decent trainer to gain more experience. Then you will get honest advice whether they consider you talented enough to pursue your chosen discipline at which point you can go it alone as such. Horses, as we all know, are a hard life to follow and only the best seem to survive so consider your choices and talk to as many people as you possibly can about the pitfalls and the promises of an equestrian career. Good Luck

 

[Lolo]

My sister was in the same position as you at 17, but had an ex-racer she'd reschooled doing PC ODEs. That was it. She worked very hard, she managed to get into a position where she had several 'rider' jobs schooling people's horses and also a job managing a yard of 7 horses, 4 of which were ridden. She also worked in a chip shop to supplement her income.

Instead of panicking about her lack of competition experience she spent a lot of time investing in her actual ridden skills with lots of lessons (weekly with one instructor, every 3 weeks with the other) and also building up other useful skills. So she has her HGV license now, she can teach because of the courses she's done with the PC and she also got a bit of a name for herself hunting for people, and also nannying a young family out hunting (4 children between 6 and 11). This is where she got the recommendation to take on one of her current horses...

Now, she has 3 horses and owns none of them, 2 youngsters/ greenies and the third her ex-racer who's now probably ready for PC Open. She's managed to secure a 3 month WP placement with one of the top UK riders because she's pulled all the stops out in making herself usable in other ways... Hopefully, come 2015 she'll then go on and be a WP properly for a more prolonged period.

If you don't have money, it's a long and difficult road but I really do hope it's doable. I think Al is doing well for herself despite all the obstacles she's had to overcome...