The last two weeks have been spent on and off the show grounds.I must first acknowledge how nice the shows are that Gold Coast and Wellington Classic Dressage put on. The facility is usually very well maintained, and it always seems to run pretty smoothly. Monica, Ann, and Missy are so easy to work with, they make things so much easier. It is really a blessing to have such a wonderful show staff so close to home.
So the last two weekends, I showed my youngster training level and took Rosi to school. It was so nice everyone that came up to see Rosi and to say hello, recognizing her by her big bunny ears. It was a pretty amazing feeling to be back on her back at a show, even though I have to hold my breath every time I rider her. I have to say this past weekend was quite a large show, and it was very hard steering in the warm up ring on a veteran show horse. It was impossible to steer on the young one. Brakes are iffy and often times a right or left rutter will stop working. It is very intimidating for me to ride with so many people, I can't imagine how intimidating it must be for someone who hasn't ridden in that chaos on a daily basis.
How do you teach someone to ride confidently is a sea of people and horses who's steering is questionable at best? Is there even a way to teach someone, or is it a honed skill that builds overtime with experience? Can you really teach someone to be confident in general? I think that having confidence is a skill, that just like anything else can be learned and honed but is also perishable if not put to use overtime. Having someone to follow who acts as they preach is also important in understanding how to create confidence in yourself. Getting back in the competition ring has been a real showing of how much confidence I lost in myself and my riding. Even though I lost my training level class on my wild man with a 55%, I gained so much confidence that I can ride him and not get upset in just about any situation. It showed me, yes it's scary, but if you've done your homework and have a good support system, in the end everything will be fine. Now it's time to get back to work and believe in myself and my horses. As Conrad would say, "I will!!"
Congrats to all of those who showed this weekend, win or lose. Be proud, because there are many people who never get the guts to do that much.
And my final words, Eleanor Roosevelt said, "the future belongs to those who believe in their dreams." so believe in your dreams and go forth with confidence that you will succeed in whatever you do.
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