P M
ublisher’s Welcome
Crossing Boundaries
ore than twenty years ago, I purchased my first Warmblood, a Holsteiner cross who was only two years old. I’m sure many of my friends thought I was crazy to take on a project like him since I was still a somewhat “newbie” to dressage. I was extremely
enthusiastic and looked forward to a long journey of training, ribbons and fun. Fortunately, he had the temperament of a saint—he was very quiet and sensible, almost unflappable. “He’s a freak of nature,” friends
warned. “You are so lucky you don’t even know it.” Yes, he truly was a kind, old soul and tolerated my many mistakes over the years. He wasn’t the most talented horse in the world but what he lacked in talent he made up for in temperament, and he was very sound. Eventually I earned my USDF bronze medal with him. In my quest to do things correctly, I made sure we didn’t spend all of our time riding 20-meter circles in a sand box. We went on
countless trail rides, he learned to jump and we even foxhunted three times in Vermont. (Tat was quite the experience!) But early on, I felt something was lacking in my handling and training of my youngster. To find the answers I was looking for, I crossed a boundary, so to speak, and attended a John Lyons symposium. I had read his book
and watched his series of videos beforehand. I wasn’t disappointed that weekend. Tere were many little take-aways from his methods that I was able to immediately incorporate in my day-to-day handling and later in the dressage training. My eyes were opened to the value of learning from other trainers in other disciplines. When we tried our hand at foxhunting, little did I know we would receive big benefits aſterwards. Aſter each of those gallop-in-the-
field outings, my dressage sessions were fantastically forward and my horse seemed happier in his work. Another thing that occurred to me: our dressage training paid off big time in the hunt field. I was one of the few riders who could sit deep, adjust my horse’s stride and stop on a dime if needed in the midst of a gallop. I remember thinking that there were people in the group who could benefit from some basic dressage, as many horses were, shall we say, very exuberant. When Boyd Martin submitted his Warmblood Whoas column (p. 97), I was immediately impressed that someone at his level
was willing to look outside the box for training ideas to solve a problem he had on cross-country. And when I heard that a dressage professional and others were doing police horse training with their Warmbloods, I welcomed their story (p. 31). Not only is it beneficial for de-spooking and building a closer relationship with your horse, it’s just plain fun. Inside this issue, we also offer a variety of features ranging from young riders learning from Olympians in Wellington (p. 16) to
seniors earning their Century Club awards (p. 39). Te American Hanoverian Society makes an important announcement in their section (p. 61), and don’t miss attorney Krysia Nelson’s tax-time advice. (If you think you might want to run a horse business, I guarantee she will help you decide.) As spring comes knocking, maybe it’s time to try some different events and outings with your horse. Perhaps there are some clinics
nearby that you wouldn’t normally consider attending. Or you might try a completely new stallion for your mare this breeding season. Stepping into unfamiliar territory can be beneficial in ways we don’t expect. And it may be the most fun you’ve had in a long, long time.
Enjoy the issue,
Liz Cornell
editor@warmbloodstoday.com
Our Mission: Warmbloods Today is the leading magazine in North America focused on the entire spectrum of Warmblood breeds. It’s a place where people from all aspects of the sport horse community can come together: amateurs, owners, trainers and breeders. Each issue contains interesting, informative and often heart-warming stories of peoples’ experiences with their horses, along with thought- provoking opinions from various professionals and amateurs. We cover all horses from European descent bred for the sports of jumping, dressage, eventing and driving including the Iberian breeds and American Warmbloods.
10 March/April 2016
Ed Haas
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