Equilibrium Ireland
Well-Known Member
So thanks to Gingerwitch she got me thinking about the difference between CR and NL. I'll admit I don't visit CR that much because I'm not competing right now. I also think I'm a crap CR rider and have zero aspirations beyond my stations. I may come across as a fluffy bunny but maybe I will give you some background. I'm also drinking so you know all deep and meaningful crap I will regret tomorrow.
When I was 18 I graduated, packed the car, and did the school of hard knocks. I went into racing because I wasn't rich enough to be an American Hunter Princess. I left the East Coast after being a groom and a hotwalker on my summer holidays. I went to California so I could learn to gallop. I was on the farm of trainer D.Wayne Lukas. At the time the leading trainer in the country. This was the place the babies were broke and we had layups. We had 120 yearlings per year. I was small I wanted to be a jockey. I was taught to gallop. In the late 80's if you were a woman and you wanted to race ride well you better be able to use your stick better than any man. Fortunately I wad also taught how to break horses by the man in charge. He was a cowboy and a very good one. I learned from the best. These million dollar babies had high hopes but he really did try and do best by all 120 babies yearly. And he taught me how to gallop. I was pretty useless starting out. But he kept me on horses to build my confidence. When I got cocky, he upped the ante. More difficult horses but yet not to break my confidence but to learn. Very similar to horses. I spent 3 years there before going to the track to be a jockey. I was useless.
Being a jockey was not about thinking it was about reacting. My mind doesn't work that way. So if I wanted to eat I decided galloping was a much better decision. But to get back to the stick, I could hit one. I was really good. At the time that was admirable. I will get back to that in a bit.
Let me say that most racehorses are easy. They really are. You have a few quirky ones and they always make you better riders. You also have those that you will never get along with. This taught me you can never be all things to all horses. Some people will in fact do a better job as long as your ego can get past that. Something you only learn later on. I've had my clock cleaned thinking I was so darn good. Humility is learned the hard way. I'm really proud of the horses that my trainer at the time would say, you think of some way to get him better. They weren't superstars, but I felt like I made a difference. This was the same for other riders at my barn too. Not just me. In my later years I wasn't worried about what they won, it was if I made a difference.
Here's the thing, the really top notch racehorses. The best thing you can do is not mess them up. They have the talent, you take care of it. I see a lot of the younger riders who think it's all them. Nope, enjoy it because they have the talent and make you look good. Galloping in America is different. You need a clock in your head. If a trainer tells you 5/8 in 1:00 you do that. Not 1:00.2. I was good at that. Lucky I guess. But yeah, back to the whip. When I was trying to prove myself I got on a lot of "bad actors". At one point I thought I can't do this anymore. I'm being told to give this horse a pasting and I just can't do this. I love horses, WTF am I doing. If it's not sorted in one well meaning crack, forget it. That served me well and made me such a better rider.
So I move to Ireland and I get a break from 365 days a year up at 4 am. My husband and I start breaking horses. I've always wanted to start horses capable of doing anything. Don't care if it's a happy hacker or racehorse. Confidence means a horse will do anything for you. And to let them be horses as well. So yeah, I may be a fluffy bunny with that but I've seen too much of the other. I bred both racehorses and competition horses. They have done me proud. I've sold on and the owners are happy. I saw some cruel things over the years and I really just wanted to make a difference. Now I have to take the step up and compete my own. I hate this because I don't want to let my horses down. I'm very hard on myself and feel rather useless. My confidence is in giving babies a good start in life. That makes me happy. And yes I'm passionate about that because that's where I feel I'm good. Nothing else just that.
I did work for a good jumper rider but I only schooled. They were very happy with me even offering me a position that would have meant giving up galloping, but it also meant in the ring time. My fear if failure meant I stuck with being an exercise rider.
So yeah maybe I am a fluffy bunny, but to me the horses are the most important things. Happy and confident. I never carry a stick nor wear spurs. I have enough ways to communicate. Trust me I know how to use them. All the times my mare competed she never had a stick or spurs. It's a crutch I don't need. Trust me, I can use them. Won't give up my neckstrap though!
So there. Maybe now you might know why I'm a fluffy bunny.
Terri
When I was 18 I graduated, packed the car, and did the school of hard knocks. I went into racing because I wasn't rich enough to be an American Hunter Princess. I left the East Coast after being a groom and a hotwalker on my summer holidays. I went to California so I could learn to gallop. I was on the farm of trainer D.Wayne Lukas. At the time the leading trainer in the country. This was the place the babies were broke and we had layups. We had 120 yearlings per year. I was small I wanted to be a jockey. I was taught to gallop. In the late 80's if you were a woman and you wanted to race ride well you better be able to use your stick better than any man. Fortunately I wad also taught how to break horses by the man in charge. He was a cowboy and a very good one. I learned from the best. These million dollar babies had high hopes but he really did try and do best by all 120 babies yearly. And he taught me how to gallop. I was pretty useless starting out. But he kept me on horses to build my confidence. When I got cocky, he upped the ante. More difficult horses but yet not to break my confidence but to learn. Very similar to horses. I spent 3 years there before going to the track to be a jockey. I was useless.
Being a jockey was not about thinking it was about reacting. My mind doesn't work that way. So if I wanted to eat I decided galloping was a much better decision. But to get back to the stick, I could hit one. I was really good. At the time that was admirable. I will get back to that in a bit.
Let me say that most racehorses are easy. They really are. You have a few quirky ones and they always make you better riders. You also have those that you will never get along with. This taught me you can never be all things to all horses. Some people will in fact do a better job as long as your ego can get past that. Something you only learn later on. I've had my clock cleaned thinking I was so darn good. Humility is learned the hard way. I'm really proud of the horses that my trainer at the time would say, you think of some way to get him better. They weren't superstars, but I felt like I made a difference. This was the same for other riders at my barn too. Not just me. In my later years I wasn't worried about what they won, it was if I made a difference.
Here's the thing, the really top notch racehorses. The best thing you can do is not mess them up. They have the talent, you take care of it. I see a lot of the younger riders who think it's all them. Nope, enjoy it because they have the talent and make you look good. Galloping in America is different. You need a clock in your head. If a trainer tells you 5/8 in 1:00 you do that. Not 1:00.2. I was good at that. Lucky I guess. But yeah, back to the whip. When I was trying to prove myself I got on a lot of "bad actors". At one point I thought I can't do this anymore. I'm being told to give this horse a pasting and I just can't do this. I love horses, WTF am I doing. If it's not sorted in one well meaning crack, forget it. That served me well and made me such a better rider.
So I move to Ireland and I get a break from 365 days a year up at 4 am. My husband and I start breaking horses. I've always wanted to start horses capable of doing anything. Don't care if it's a happy hacker or racehorse. Confidence means a horse will do anything for you. And to let them be horses as well. So yeah, I may be a fluffy bunny with that but I've seen too much of the other. I bred both racehorses and competition horses. They have done me proud. I've sold on and the owners are happy. I saw some cruel things over the years and I really just wanted to make a difference. Now I have to take the step up and compete my own. I hate this because I don't want to let my horses down. I'm very hard on myself and feel rather useless. My confidence is in giving babies a good start in life. That makes me happy. And yes I'm passionate about that because that's where I feel I'm good. Nothing else just that.
I did work for a good jumper rider but I only schooled. They were very happy with me even offering me a position that would have meant giving up galloping, but it also meant in the ring time. My fear if failure meant I stuck with being an exercise rider.
So yeah maybe I am a fluffy bunny, but to me the horses are the most important things. Happy and confident. I never carry a stick nor wear spurs. I have enough ways to communicate. Trust me I know how to use them. All the times my mare competed she never had a stick or spurs. It's a crutch I don't need. Trust me, I can use them. Won't give up my neckstrap though!
So there. Maybe now you might know why I'm a fluffy bunny.
Terri
Can we have some more memories please???
).
but I've always found your advice really sensible, practical but with true heart and love for horses. What you say reminds me of Mark Rashid's philosophy which I try to aspire to but fall way short because I lack the ability to put a lot into practice.
