DefinitelyDressage.com

I was reading through the thread about riding challenges. And was thinking how different people have very different things that come naturally to them.

So, since we're talking about what things we've struggled with, I thought it might also be fun/interesting to share which things have come especially easily to us/or that we think are our biggest strengths as a rider. I know no one likes to brag, but I think sometimes identifying and leveraging strengths is the best way to overcome challenges!

Man, the only thing I have going for me is persistence. I am not the most talented rider, I don't have a trained horse, I have limited access to instruction, and I do a lot of stuff wrong.

But, by gosh, I keep trying. Sometimes I score upper 50s, but I'm an amateur trying to learn upper level stuff, so I for the most part shrug it off as something that'll happen. Sometimes I score upper 60s too, so I just tell myself I'll leave the judgement about my ability to others!

I get up and ride every day, and I work hard to develop my feel through the times I can get lessons and while there are tough times, when I have the good moments, those of clear improvement, I stop to recognize them - they help fuel said persistence.

Kelo, you took my post! I was going to say the exact same thing. Never giving up is why I have gotten where I am. I have failed for a very long time. That's the only reason I've had any success.

Half pass--I rock the half pass--goodness knows why.

I can also usually execute a very tidy turn on the haunches. (Note "usually." We had a bit of trouble in the show ring this year, but because I can normally nail them, that turned out to be a useful diagnostic tool in pinpointing a soundness issue.)

Patience

Sitting the trot came very easy to me and I can't understand why it's a problem for so many. Developing feel, which is another thing that seems to have been a problem for many has not been for me. Biggest strengths are dedication, drive, persistence. It's never good enough. I'm also pretty good at problem solving.

I'm really good at teaching a horse to do a good stretchy trot. And I'm pretty good at riding a walk.

I used to have a good "go with it" which helped me be a good rider for problem horses. But i think a lot of that has gone with age/lack of practice.

I calm nervous horses, but I'm not so great at making a laid back horse electric-- I am working on it though!

I'm the same as kelo! Just keep trying. I'm unco, have zero talent in anything, it takes me a while to learn things. But I know this about myself, so I know I have to just keep on chipping away.

MC, are you good at sports? Or as a kid etc? I always wonder that natural athletic people have that skill in knowing what their body is doing, so that leads to natural feel with riding.

Perhaps because I started sitting on horses in the field when I was a toddler any time I could escape supervision, and spent may hours hanging out with the horses in giant fields with no tack. (When your brothers are at boarding school and there us no tv) I mean if you are riding bareback no tack and the whole herd of horses goes on a snort bucking gallop around, you go along or fall off, but fir whatever reason I never needed the reins to feel confident, and think I understand what or why my horses do stuff.

It makes achieving things easier, be it handling a feral, loading horses on a trailer, or riding. Knowing when to add pressure, when to wait, when to take time, or when to push seems to be a skill I have.

I think I'm pretty good at raising young horses and bringing them along under saddle.

Riding-wise, I've become good with TOH/walk pirouettes. I am quite good at w-c and c-w transitions. And half pass is coming along nicely, too.

Off the horse, I'm very good at teaching a horse to trailer. Every single horse I've had no matter what they were like before became a self-loader into the trailer without much muss or fuss. I credit my mom for teaching me the art of training a horse to load without gimmicks, extra equipment, or frustration.

Persistence (aka stubborn)
Dedication (aka stubborn)
Balance (aka I've been riding since I could walk)
Efficiency (aka I'm good at teaching the stretchy trot because I use it as a reward) - geometry I know it gets me points on less endowed horses and I know all the movements that don't require an 8+ mover in order to win.
I'm now an old bitch so I think I can trade in some mileage for wisdom. I've developed patience (for horses/animals in general) and I now accept that taking the appropriate amount of time now will pay off with dividends later.

Otherwise I'm just an average joe.

Dapple Field wrote:Patience

Well, I had to develop it, but yeah. I've been complimented many times for having good hands. I guess I'd credit Centered Riding, and riding western on a looped rein a lot, for that.

Interesting! I think one of my biggest strengths is being able to see/watch and learn just from watching. I am a very visual learner. I am good at sussing out what a horse needs to go better (more with the more forward thinking horses than the slugs, not real fond of riding slugs!). I am used to handling challenging horses and feel confident on the ground (not as much US). I felt very validated in Portugal when the instructor would only allow herself or me to be at the head of the stallion (who was being very stallion like that day) while working him in hand for piaffe using two handlers. That was a lot of horse there showing lots of power when asked for piaffe. He is quite large too! But I have learned so much over the years dealing with Rip the challenging one to feel confident and grounded while working with this type of horse. The handler at the head just helped control the front end the handler on the long line created the piaffe using the lunge whip.

In hand and on line I am much more confident. US I do not like to ride the wild ones. In fact I rode a QH mare the other day that I just was not fond of. She was very distracted and not "with" me at all (cows had gotten out and there was a tractor working) and I never felt any connection with her. I just keep plugging away and seeking out the trainers that I want to learn from.

I have a pretty good feel for the subtleties of what is happening beneath me. I'm also very quiet in my body without being tense, and I have great control over all my bits. So if my instructor wants me to lower my right shoulder a bit to help with a lateral movement, for example, I can do that easily and quickly without compromising anything else.

I also have a lot of patience, and I take joy in the little things. The parts of training that some people might find boring or repetitive I love!

.

Ryeissa wrote:I am good at supporting the horse emotionally. I am a kinesthetic learner and can reproduce things in my body, like mari.
the challenge for me is to not be too tense or too loose. It's hard to maintain that middle ground. When I think too hard I get tense.

I think a middle ground in general can be challenging. I have a tendency to overcorrect when I recognize a problem. I think it can be hard not to go for the extreme of something when trying to do things right.

Mine is like a lot of other people... I'm stubborn, persistent and inquisitive - I want to understand the theory and the how's and the why's. Also, usually once I feel what I'm after, I can recreate it.

I'm very aware of my impact. E.g. if I'm riding a movement one way to the left and another way to the right, I can pinpoint the difference and fix it.

I'm also the person volunteered by my trainer/mom/barn mates to ride the crazy/remedial horses because I just sit there, no matter what acrobatics they get up to. If you've got a horse prone to rearing, bolting, bucking, or spinning, I'm your person to get them past that hump.

I am riding regularly and do not try to find excuses for skipping rides i.e. too hot, too cold, too humid, too sunny, too cloudy, too many bugs and so on and so forth. And I do not have indoor (Long Island, New York).

Another good thread topic! There are a lot of strengths on this board

Sitting trot came fairly easily to me---maybe because I started with working western training and maybe because of yoga and general experience with using all of my abs.

Mostly, I think I am good at showing up and working with the horse I have on a given day, and always ending on a good note. I am also generally a chill pill rider for more anxious type horses.

My horse is my biggest strength. He's been essential for helping me learn dressage. Other than that I'm exceptionally good at taking instruction. This comes with a down side for me in that I try so hard to be a blank slate/turn off my processing center so I can respond as quickly as possible to the instruction that it can be hard for me to later retain the information and work on my own. I've started counting things to remember while I'm riding.

I love that you pointed this out, Boudicea. I owe a lot not only to my horse, but to the horses before her. Many have let me do it poorly before doing it better--and then they give me more. They are master teachers.