Navigating the terrain of dressage

Navigating the Terrain of Dressage

By Maribeth Dunlap

April 2006

I don’t know about you, but there have been times along my dressage journey when everything just clicked. I was high flying and having fun and thinking this is cool and not so bad. Then all of a sudden and out of nowhere, it seemed like someone pulled the rug out from under my feet. As always, I pick myself back up, brush myself off, and usually say something silly like, gee, they didn’t mention this in any of the books. At least, not the ones I’ve read.

The first thing I learned was that you can’t learn to ride by just reading books. You have to get out there and do it; you must be an active participant. Oh sure, books offer excellent advice and will help you to learn the terminology and technical aspects of riding. They’re indispensable at supplementing your knowledge and understanding and I would be lost without some of the excellent resources in my library. The fact still remains that in order to become a good rider you have to ride, just as the ballerina practices her craft for hours on end, as nobody has ever become a ballerina by reading books about the ballet. And a pilot could not be a pilot by simply reading the manual. At least, not a pilot I would want to fly with.

The second thing that I learned was that I needed good instruction. And that can sometimes be tough to find. Dressage is currently the fastest growing discipline in the equestrian world and hopefully, as the sport continues to grow, there will be more instruction available. Good instruction will help you to make steady progress and avoid major setbacks. Dressage can be very technical and at times very frustrating and it is so important to have a good instructor to help you better understand the technical aspects of the discipline and encourage you through times of frustration.

The next thing that I learned was that learning dressage was like navigating through unknown terrain. And I think that this is similar to learning any new thing. There are areas of terrain that are steep ascents and then there are areas that are more like plateaus. And don’t forget there is sometimes an occasional pothole or bump in the road.

I like to think of the steep ascents as those periods of time when you’re learning and progressing. You’re on a roll, feeling good, raising your standards and goals. You really feel like you’re getting it and you’re happy, you love your horse, you love your instructor and life is good.

The plateaus are the areas where you don’t really feel like you’re making much progress. Many riders feel like they’re “stuck” during this time. They become steep ascent junkies and love that feeling of steady, rapid progress and constantly learning new things. I’ve learned, however, to feel differently about these plateaus. I think of them as a time to practice and solidify what I’ve learned during the steep ascents. This is a “study” period and I’m perfecting what I’ve learned, honing my skills, and getting ready for the next steep ascent when it comes. I’ve learned to really appreciate these periods as it gives me a chance to take the time that is necessary to truly study and grow. It is especially important to trust your instructor during this time. He or she has the experience to guide you along your way and to know what you and your horse need in order to make steady progress.

So what about those potholes or bumps in the road? I refer to these as taking two steps back. And sometimes this is exactly what is necessary. Sometimes while learning new things, we lose the quality of the things that were learned shortly before these new things. So we need to go back and recapture the quality and then move forward again.

I like to think of dressage as a process or a journey. You’re navigating through unknown terrain, and a key element that is needed to make a safe journey is patience and an understanding and acceptance that this is a process. This journey also offers you opportunities to learn about yourself and to grow and mature. And it is most often a humbling experience. It is a lifetime journey well worth taking. Embrace it, enjoy it and have fun along the way!

Photo: Maribeth riding Jedulon

This article was written by Maribeth April 2006 – All Rights Reserved Used With Permission.