pushed Gary out of the way and went to his knees. I leaned back and helped him regain his balance. Gary took the lead line and we continued our walk, very slowly and carefully step by step. This session was the start of our new relation- ship as a team. We somehow gained confidence in each other and I took on the new role of Valiant’s seeing-eye person.
The Bond Strengthens
As the months passed, our relationship was becoming closer and closer. It was great riding him in the controlled environ- ment of an arena but I needed something to keep his exu- berant mind and body busy. The classical art of dressage fit the bill!
At first, it was not a pretty sight. Walking him in a straight line, much less trotting him, was virtually impossible. I didn’t even think about the canter. Balancing and giving him confidence were the two main issues I struggled with in our daily work. Today they still are, only now on a different level.
For me, dressage is the merging of two energies, mine and that of my horse. In my very first ride on Valiant after he lost his sight, I realized he wasn’t going to buck and he wasn’t going to rear and he wasn’t going to bolt and run us into the fence. He wasn’t going to do anything but look for my sup- port.
I learned to sit up tall in the saddle and allow my energy to stabilize him. He was very willing to trust me and allow me to guide him every step. At the same time, I had to let him learn from his mistakes. If he ignored my aid and bumped into the side rail of the arena, he quickly learned. I could almost feel the realization in his body!
In order to ride him well, I had to stay focused on Valiant and pay attention to all my senses all the time. My vision and my hearing and even my sense of smell became acute as I tried to take in everything on Valiant’s behalf. I knew that if I could accomplish this, it would be the ultimate form of dressage.
It was now almost two years since Valiant lost his sight, and I felt he needed another new challenge. Gary and I took all our
horses to Wyoming that summer and Valiant learned to be a trail horse! We rode through the Big Horn Mountains. We crossed the Little Tongue River on numerous occasions and even rode with the polo ponies at the Big Horn Polo Club. This was a summer to remember and one that solidified our bond. We were having a great time learning about each other. This Wyoming summer experience was a turning point not only in our personal relationship but in our riding rela- tionship as well.
Inspired by our trail riding success, I worked diligently on our dressage the rest of that year. Valiant was only working at training/first level when he went blind and I needed to con- firm that level before I moved on. The following year we were able to do second and third level movements fairly well.
By the beginning of the 2000-2001 season I felt he could compete successfully at fourth level. Valiant had never been to a horse show before and we were going to start at fourth level. Was I crazy? Yes, so what else is new. Fourth level? Even horses with sight don’t begin a show career at that level. I guess when you’re in the moment and the moment feels right, you simply “go with it.”
Competitive Challenges
We trailered and parked close to the Wellington Equestrian Festival at my friend Lisa Jerkin’s farm and hacked onto the showgrounds. The trail ride was uneventful and quite good for us both. I can still remember approaching the warm up arena. There were eight to ten horses and riders warming up and four trainers yelling instructions to their students. I took a deep breath, patted Valiant on the neck, and entered the arena. The minute we entered, I felt his attention turn com- pletely to me. Riders were all around us, swooshing by while you could hear others using their voice and making noises with their whip. It was crowded and disorganized but Valiant did not take one bad step. He listened to only me and gave an amazing warm-up. Then it was our turn to compete. The bell rang, and we entered the competition dressage arena. This was another moment I will never forget. We were actual- ly in Wellington competing against the top horses in the country and Valiant was coming out at fourth level!
This was beyond my wildest dreams. Surprisingly I didn’t feel overwhelmed, just completely focused on him. We were there to do our best and we did. Valiant listened to me the whole test. It was the best test of my life, even if it only earned a 53.07%! After the final salute, the judge stood up and asked me if my horse was blind in one eye. I said, “No ma’am, he’s blind in both eyes.”She was completely surprised, saying it was truly remarkable what he’d done and wished us the best of luck in the future.
As Valiant and I continued to compete, I received nothing but incredible support from our dressage community. This has meant the world to me. By the end of the season Valiant was coming in third, second and eventually won one of his fourth level classes with a 67.7%.
Valiant’s trust and focus on Jeanette demonstrated
26
Performing Freely
In 2003, GiGi Hanover and Bernardo Vergara (the owners of
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73