Warmblood O
By Julie Winkel What is Enough?
ne of the greatest qualities of a good horseman and trainer is knowing when to push a horse to the next level, when to
demand more of them on a new exercise and when to quit. The biggest worry of any top professional is ruining a really good horse. Unfortunately, anyone who has been in the business long enough has made some big mistakes. So I'd like to share one of mine— and how I made things right in the end. Years ago, I had a wonderful young stallion I
purchased as a six-year-old. He was big, lazy and confident. There wasn't a jump he couldn't clear. He was incredibly scopey and careful as well. I couldn't wait to compete at higher levels and I moved him up from the 1.3m jumpers at the beginning of his six- year-old year to the 1.45m classes by year's end with much success. I continued to show him in his seven-year-old year with little quality of flatwork or foundation. We were showing in the Grand Prix at the start of his eight- year-old year with moderate success. We headed to Spruce Meadows that summer to compete in the FEI competitions. The first day went well with good results in the 1.5m class. But the second day we showed in the 1.5m, he jumped beautifully the first half on the course then suddenly shut down. We weren't near a jump or anything worrisome, but he just halted and reared. I simply couldn't make him continue. I thought perhaps it was because we were in a different arena or that he got his eye on the mares in the pasture nearby. So I entered him again the next day in the arena
that he showed in successfully the first day. The same thing happened. He jumped half the course and then suddenly quit. Before I knew it, he stood up on his hind legs and I couldn't make him stop rearing. After being eliminated two days in a row I enlisted the help of a top international rider to show him the next day. Things only got worse. He didn't even make it through the start makers.
Devastated and discouraged beyond words, I just
knew I had ruined my good horse. We went home with no further attempts at competing the following week. There I had a vet go over him thoroughly, looking for any physical issues. Finding none, I decided to leave him home the following week as we left for another horse show. After a couple weeks of rest, I started riding him again and working on better flatwork, low jumps and mainly building his self-esteem. I learned that I could not MAKE this big powerful stallion do anything. He had to want to do it. It had to be his idea.
I also decided to try showing him in fewer classes
each show, to conserve his energy. Showing three days in a row at 1.5m classes was clearly a huge mistake. We headed up north to a three-week circuit. The first week I only showed him in one 1.15m class, putting no pressure on him to jump. Asking rather than telling was theme of my ride. He jumped clear and confidently and I made a huge deal about what a superstar he was. He ate it up. The following week we moved to a new venue. That week I showed twice, both 1.15m classes in two
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