I think the biggest change should start at the top with our top riders and trainers creating more mentorships; both short term and long term that are open to us regular riders... There is too much segregation between the levels of riding, and truth be told, the best riders have a responsibility to share in an easily accessible way the knowledge that they have. It's really funny, but I think that some of the top riders should take on beginners... start them out right so that they are more likely to stay in the sport and are taught correctly from the start. Maybe not the most economical thing to do, but certainly a way to open the door to the regular public! I hear the same story over and over from adults... they tell me that they rode once or sometimes twice, but they got (insert bad horse behavior here). Subsequent to that bad experience, they quit! If they were started correctly from the start, they probably would have stayed in the sport longer! A top level trainer would hopefully have not put the student in that situation to be thrown or injured in the first place, plus they will teach the correct fundamentals so that the student will stay in the saddle better when those things come up.
The other thing that I have noticed is that there is a MAJOR discrepancy between the levels of equestrian sport... Of COURSE there should be a bit of a knowledge gap, but the one that exists is HUGE! Bottom line, we NEED access to more information!!! We need to have more clinics and not just mounted clinics, but learning clinics about equine health/wellbeing, shoeing, conformation, judging, teaching, riding, etc. I for one would LOVE that because I am already accustomed to maintaining a certain level of continuing education for my speech-language license. I think that continuing education is a MUST in this sport just for the fact that there is sooooo much involved in properly caring for your equine partner. I think that a short term apprenticeship at a high level show barn with a good trainer would be terrific... while I myself (and lots of other employed and familied people) can't do a whole year, I could make arrangements for a few days or even up to a week.
Another idea, and this is already being launched is to have a nationally recognized certification for riding instructors, rather than a few private companies. I myself am CHA certified because I felt so strongly about having something to back me when I say that I can teach riding lessons safely, that someone else thinks that I can too. Blame it on the fact that I had to jump through hoops to become a Speech Therapist, but I think that a degree of some type is important. I think that whatever program is created should include teaching skills, training skills, riding skills, and overall horsemanship skills. This would give the general public something to look for when shopping for riding instructors that gives them confidence in either riding with us, or entrusting their children to our care.
I also think that EVERYONE should work towards creating an environment of support and friendly competition, rather than the cut-throat attitude that is currently out there in the equine industry. I have already brought this up in a previous post, but I am going to reiterate it: NO MORE DIRTY BUSINESS! This is the BIGGEST problem in the biz today! Everyone is out to make a buck, and that is all well and good, but do it the RIGHT way! It will make you more $$ in the long run... I promise! So that means, don't sell that crazy horse you can't get rid of to a beginner rider, don't make people pay for services that a) they don't need, or b) they aren't really getting! Sooner or later they get smart to it and leave, and then a lot of the time they leave the sport entirely... with a really bad taste in their mouths.
The last thing that I suggest is that horsemanship should be taught to students from the VERY BEGINNING! the 3 year olds that I teach learn to respect their mount as more than just a thing, but as a partner that they need to care for and be kind to. These things can start early on with both directly teaching it, but also indirectly teaching it... by this I mean by the way that we handle the horses and the care and treatment that they receive from us as horses in our riding program. If we do not respect our equine partners, how can we teach that? Actions are always louder than words, and children look up to and idolize their trainers, so therefore we have a responsibility to them to embody good morals, values, principles and treatment of horses and humans alike.
See you in the ring!!!
Crystal
