[From the December 2011 Sho Times:Shannon Dueck is a contributing writer to the
Sho Clothes Sho News monthly newsletter]
by Shannon Dueck
(Photo of Shannon Dueck by Sue Stickle)
Full Training - Why? Or Why Not?
I run a smallish training facility down here in sunny Florida. Because it’s a small private facility, all my clients are in training with me, but some are in full training and others are in partial training. I think everyone who wants to participate seriously in the sport of dressage needs to be in some kind of training program, but what is appropriate for you and your horse? How do you make the choice?
I will assume you are with a trainer that you trust and respect. Your trainer should have experience training (not just riding) at the levels you aspire to. If you have competitive goals, make sure your trainer has or is still competing successfully, or has coached students successfully. It is very valuable to have a trainer who can ride and train your horse too.
Often times the first thing is a financial consideration. Full training is expensive you say! But in reality, most trainers offer great discounts for full training. Individual lessons are the most expensive way to get your training. My full training for a month costs the same as 10 individual sessions, and that’s a 50% savings! Of course my husband always laughs when I go shopping at a sale for something I don’t need (“but Honey I’m saving so much money”) but if full training is something you would like - or need - it often makes financial sense to bite the bullet.
Full training can be fabulous - you can steadily improve if you have someone good leading the way. It can be so helpful to have a great trainer get on to “tune up” your horse, and then you can feel the difference when you get back on. Riding is all about feel, and no matter what, trainers cannot teach feel well. Only feeling teaches feel, and that is the horse’s area of expertise (aside from destroying barns and eating a lot)!
If you are feeling lost in your progress, regardless of your level, full training can be very helpful, even for a short while. With intense training for a few months you can usually make some real breakthroughs and feel good again about the direction you are heading.
If you have a young horse, have never trained such a creature and are not an accomplished rider, you should be in full training. Young horses are very impressionable, and you can make good or bad impressions very quickly! It’s much easier to train a young horse well the first time than to try to fix incorrect or nasty behavior. It’s faster, less stressful, less dangerous and you will spend less money in the long run.
If you are in a situation health wise or your lifestyle dictates limited time in the saddle, full training can ease your stress while improving your horse at the same time. Woohoo! two benefits in one.
However, full training can sometimes inhibit your development as a rider. I think many people get too reliant on their trainers and get lost when left on their own. Every rider should have some time on their own where they have to feel what is happening underneath them, decide on how to try to improve it, and do their best to train their horse themselves. Taking this responsibility is what truly will turn you into an effective rider at every stage.
My final thought is that full training should be a part of everyone’s learning curve at some time, and sometimes it is imperative due to your situation. But very often it can be incredibly productive to be by yourself and take the time to process what you are learning in your lessons, and just ride your horse.
Enjoy your rides!
International Grand Prix trainer and competitor Shannon Dueck is a Pan Am Games Individual Silver Medalist, and has competed at both WEG and the World Cup Final. She has trained with Bert Rutten of the Netherlands, Kathy Connelly, Lars Peterson, Hubertus Schmidt, Robert Dover, and most recently, Wolfram Wittig while in Germany this past summer.
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