found Martin Fink, a slimly built man bubbling with energy. For the week, Martin was to be
my trainer and my mentor. He’s a successful jumper rider who had been recommended because of his personable teaching style. After a competitive stint in eventing, Martin decided to focus his energies on show jumping with an emphasis on developing young prospects. I was to discover that he is not a “typical” German rider, per se, but offers a distinct blend of German and American elements. His manner is direct, but exuded an air of easy acceptance, especially towards riding styles and horses. His love for the entire spectrum of the horse world was evident and when I asked him about it, he told me with a smile and shrug of his shoulders, “I’ve been infected with the horse virus.” We got right down to business. What were my goals
for this training session? I was open to any input as I had only been competitive in hunters and just recently had contemplated the discipline on the other side of the dash. Now, it was time to begin my new journey.
Ride—The Rest Will Follow Candyman, a ten-year-old Warmblood gelding that had experience jumping 1.40 meters, was my first ride. Well- schooled on the flat, he knew what he could get away with and had no qualms doing so. He made me work for every good transition and bend, pushing me mentally and physically. At the smaller heights (as in two feet), he would stop or half-heartedly make it to the other side. My job was to keep him focused and maintain my leg on him through the other side of the jump so that he remained balanced. “Real forwardness comes from the hind legs,” Martin reminds me. Because my concentration was focused on
“It’s better when the horses’ balance is on their to-do list.”
keeping up the momentum, other parts of my riding suffered. “You cannot have a proper turn by just using the inside rein,” Martin calls out. He reminds me to keep my aids correct and direct and that once the
horse is accepting of the aids, he will relax. Hacking out on the trails was another useful training tool that Martin made certain to incorporate in each horse’s training regimen. “Trails are both stimulating and quieting for the horses. They go out usually at least once a week for a good trail ride,” he remarks. Martin comments that I have a good seat, something he
thinks American riders are particularly adept at. I am pleased, as that had not always been the case; when my legs would tire, I would use my seat to drive, becoming sloppy. Martin is a big proponent of a seat that is natural and soft. “A lot of people tell me I would make good hunter rider,” he says in his upbeat German accent. “But a good seat is important no matter what. I’m not a typical German rider; I prefer a more light way of riding like the Americans are used to. I like the way the U.S. riders get used to rhythm and seat through hunter and equitation classes. That’s a good way to school from the first steps on,” he says. “I was schooled in a German way of riding, using all aids in a more intensive way,” he continues. “But there is a development in the breeding of German horses, and so the riding also has to improve. The horses are getting lighter and easier to ride, so the riding has to also improve in a more sensitive way.” With a fresh eye, Martin is able to hone in on the less-
than-stellar habits that I had managed to get away with on a regular basis. My own 16-year-old saint of an equitation horse turned hunter knows his job and does it well. He’s the quintessential confidence builder; while we’re out-placed at bigger shows, we still have fun, and I’ve learned a lot on the local circuit. Martin notes that, regardless of
the horse, the aids are the language we use to speak to them. As with much of Europe, proper flatwork is emphasized before incorporating any jumps. Roundness and lightness and responsiveness are very important. Martin does not emphasize producing a frame. “The more the horses learn to carry themselves and stay in their natural frame, the more the rider can concentrate on the tasks which are waiting in each course,” he adds. “There are still a lot of different aspects you have to work on: your
A group of young riders hack out on the trails after schooling over a few cross country jumps.
74 March/April 2013
Courtesy Katie Shoultz
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