I find it interesting that, every time I read a new book on riding, the author uses most of the pages to explain the basics – the foundation. Advanced work, in comparison, takes up a lot less space. If you think about it, this is not strange at all, given that if you lay a sound foundation and stack the building blocks of training properly, the finishing touches are just that – finishing touches.
What exactly different riders consider to be "finishing touches" is of course a whole new topic. What for one rider is the ultimate in training and horsemanship, may for the next be a mere building block towards even higher aspirations.
Writing the article on Diederick Cloete's training system which appears in this edition, I again came under the impression of the concept of "back to basics". The article deals with Diederick’s approach to getting horses "bomb proof", which entails a structured system of progressive desensitising excersises. But what struck me most was the closing, where he said that only now, at the point where the horse is bomb proof, you can start its regular training programme.
Which made me think again about the whole subject of specialisation. Many horsemen that I respect are in agreement that there is a trend to specialise too soon in a horse's career. Or, let me put it differently: Horses are too often NOT exposed to enough variety in their training programmes.
The end result is that too many horses simply cannot be trusted outside of their little comfort zone. I blame specialisation for this. It is not the horse's fault. The problem lies in the mind of the rider. "I am a showjumper" or "I am a dressage rider" too often represents a mindset of blinkers which does not allow for the same enlightened approach that "I am a horseman" would allow.
I am talking about us common folk here, not the professionals at the top of their game. The fact is that the overwhelming majority of riders are not professionals and will never be. For us the time spent with our horses is purely recreational and it is exactly because of this, that I want to stress the importance of going back to basics every so often.
I cannot speak for others, but ultimately what I want of my horse is a supple, strong, well-adapted riding horse that understands my cues and that gives me what I ask willingly and confidently, whether it be in the showring, jumping arena or out in the veld.
