Boyd Martin at WEG 2010 Photo: Toni-anne Collins
The United States Eventing Association held its annual seminar this week from December 7th-11th.
One of the most popular seminars at the USEA Annual Meeting and Convention is always the Training Solutions For Top Event Riders and this year was no different with the extensive panel speaking to a packed room. The session is informal with audience members asking questions and the members of the panel taking turns answering.
The panel comprised Karen O’Connor, Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton, Leslie Law, Clayton Fredericks, Buck Davidson, Lynn Symansky, Hannah Sue Burnett and Shannon Lilley.
Examples of the types of questions asked include;
Q: What do you think is important in a young horse: conformation vs heart vs talent?
Boyd Martin: It needs to have the ability to gallop for 11 minutes and jump about 35 big jumps. Pretty good jumping ability. Pretty good in the dressage as well. I don’t nit-pick too much conformationally. I go for more rangy horses with 60-70% TB.
Q: What creative items do you guys use that may be successful training wise?
Karen O’Connor: Huge success with a leather bit for dressage. Really soft in their month.
Q: What’s the progression for a young horse on what you do and what you ask for on each day?
Philiip Dutton: I like to establish that when you are on the horse they are listening to you all the time. Your horse always needs to be going forward all the time from your aid. As you get more education you add roundness, softness, etc. Sending a young horse to an experienced person is much better than sending then to an inexperienced person
And one I really love Boyd’s answer to this one but Clayton’s comment is interesting as well..............
Q: For the average rider who needs to have some brakes that is not responding to the snaffle on XC are there other suggestions you have?
Clayton Fredericks: Having just come from Australia where I must have talked over a hundred riders in the last few weeks, this is a problem that I addressed often. Nine out of 10 we saw it with the correction of the rider’s position. I spend time looking in the horse’s mouth and finding something that is suitable for the construction of the mouth.
Boyd Martin: Put a fence into the hay shed.
To read this great article in full, visit: http://useventing.com/aboutus.php?section=convention&id=3092
