Aim For The Moon

I preformed a dressage test… In the dark… Without a horse.

When horse loving kids find themselves horseless, in an arena, it isn't uncommon to see them become their inner pony and kick up their heels. You might watch as the children complete circles of a well preformed trot and canter, and for a young dressage enthusiast, maybe a passage, piaffe, or extended trot. In a horseless arena with jumps, the young horse lovers compete over fences, complete with lead changes and looking for their next fence. I remember those days very well and have often, while teaching lessons, found myself trotting and cantering a dressage test for a student or cantering strides to work on timing for a fence. I always end laughing.

I've often wondered why an adult isn't allowed to find their inner pony and run wildly around the ring. Maybe it's because as a whole, horse people are already believed to be crazy and we don't need to add any additional reasons for people to believe it. Or maybe, it's because somewhere between being a horse-crazy child and becoming a horse-crazy adult, we let our dreams take a backseat to life.

I began thinking about this as I practiced flying lead changes down the centerline. I only vaguely remember my dreams from back then and know they have changed greatly. My dreams are more realistic and boring now. No, that's wrong, they are worse then realistic and boring, they are overly safe and littered with excuses as to why I'm not aiming higher. I've become more afraid of trying and failing than I am of barely trying at all and never accomplishing anything. I would never allow one of my students to do this, my expectations for them have always been higher, why am I allowing myself to do this? Just as I was thinking this, I tripped over my own foot and went into the dirt.

I had fallen. What is my rule? When you fall, unless you've hurt more then your pride, you dust yourself off, take a deep breath and get back on. I needed to follow my own advice. I needed to learn to lead by example again. I stood up, laughed at my clumsy self, found my inner wild pony, and galloped away, wondering what goals I would set for myself. If you aim for the moon and only make it halfway, you will still make it farther than if you had aimed for the backyard and made it. I've decided to aim for the moon and if I don't make it, that's OK.

Tribute To Nana- Published in November 2007 issue of "The Horses Maine"

Tribute To Nana- A True Horse Woman

Written By Melissa Beckwith & Published in the November 2007 issue of "The Horses Maine"

Heading into winter, Dorothy Beckwith's thorough care keeps the older horses at Beckwith Stables in excellent condition. Never have I seen them thin or uncomfortable, though I have seen her tending to them while having the flu, pneumonia, shingles, and a torn retina. Neither I, nor anyone else will ever persuade her to willingly get her butt back into the house and let one of us care for her boys, even just for one day. No doctor, no family member, not a single human being on earth, will ever keep her from her old horses, and her lifetime promise to them. She exhibit’s a dedication to her horses that we don’t see nearly enough of in this day and age.

Dorothy, known as Dot or Nana to everyone that comes here, loves horses. They have been part of her life since she was a young girl and a passion that has stayed with her. She may not ride anymore, and she doesn’t want to drive a horse, but she still likes to get up and smell the manure in the morning.

After jogging her regular 3 miles a day, followed by her aerobics in the morning, she heads out to the barn armed with carrots and cat food. Her arrival at the barn is announce long before she walks in the door, as 30 year old Maple thunders in from his paddock beside her house and waits eagerly at his stall door for his carrots and grooming. “The carrot lady is coming!”, “The carrot lady is coming!” is announced throughout the barn . She is greeted every morning by her impatient old horses whinnying for carrots and barn cats screaming for their meals. Dot feeds her three barn cats and then proceeds to groom and spoil her two elderly steeds.

Though in her late 70s, Dot pulls the 29 year old Standardbred gelding, Maple Way and 26 year old Standardbred stallion, Double Hill, out onto crossties and picks out their pastures and stalls. She brushes them, rubs them down as if they just had a workout, and cleans their feet. They are both rewarded with many carrots and an oat, bran, and salt mixture is dumped into their buckets to encourage them to drink more water. Their grains for later are filled and supplements added, their water is changed, and their free choice hay is wetted down, to keep it dust free.

When asked why she does this every morning, Dot replies, “They’ve earned it. Just because they aren’t working anymore, doesn’t mean you can just throw them out in a pasture and forget about them. They still need joint supplements, vitamins, and senior grain. They need to be brushed and have their feet done daily. They need clean bedding and fresh water and hay. They might need blankets in the winter and a fan in the summer, so be prepared to provide these for them. They need more care now, than they ever did before. When you get a horse, they are your responsibility to care for, for the remainder of their life. They gave you their heart and soul when they were young, you owe them at least this much.”

It's not about the money. What is a qualified riding instructor?

Recently, I received an inquiry about riding lessons that ended with me being told that I am too expensive because they can take lessons somewhere else for $15 and that place lets their child ride in sneakers so they wouldn't have to buy any new shoes to ride there.

One of my first students when I started teaching professionally on my own was a 9 year old girl who had developed severe fear issues related to horses because her previous instructor, who they went to based on the low price, was careless. In her first 6 lessons with her previous instructor, she had fallen 5 times, the last of which she was caught in a stirrup and dragged down the arena fence. This fall left bruises down her side and even worse, a fear of doing what she had always dreamed of; riding horses. Her first experiences with riding were horrific and should have never happened. They left her wanting to quit and if not for her mother's determination to make her daughter's dream of riding horses come true, despite her own fear of horses, this young girl would have never gotten back on a horse and her dreams of riding would have been tossed aside. I was recommended to her by a mother of another student and 2 years later her daughter was a confident and proud rider who had reached her goal and got to go over her first cross rail. Helping her get there was also one of my proudest moments.

In the State of Maine there is no licensing and no certification requirements. This means that anyone with access to a horse can call themselves a riding instructor and teach riding lessons. When looking for an instructor to teach your child, you want to look not so much at the price of lessons, but at the quality of the instructor you are paying and what exactly you are paying for. The saying "you get what you pay for" applies just as much in riding lessons as it does in most other cases. First of all you want to find a qualified instructor and then you want to look at what the cost of lessons actually covers for you child.

What is a "qualified" riding instructor?

Webster dictionary defines "qualified" as "fitted (as by training or experience) for a specific purpose"; competent."

My opinion is that a qualified instructor is someone who has the experience, knowledge, and understanding of the principles of riding and can effectively teach this to their students. A qualified instructor in my opinion has trained with various knowledgeable instructors, has extensive experience in what they are teaching (not necessarily showing), and preferably has taught previously under the supervision of an older, more experienced instructor.

I don't believe a qualified instructor has to be certified and I don't believe all certified instructors are qualified to teach riding; in fact there are several certifications that aren't geared towards riding instruction, but they are easier to obtain so instructors will get them and state they are certified instructors.

I also believe that there is a difference between a qualified instructor and a good qualified instructor. I have met many people who could ride beautifully and understood what they were doing and why, but couldn't relay it effectively to their students. A good qualified instructor can work with a variety of riders and horses and adapt their teaching methods to accommodate who they are working with. They help their students to understand what they should be doing and why. I have also met a number of poor riders, who knew what they should be doing and why and could effectively teach it, just couldn't do it themselves.

I'd also like to talk about responsibility because I believe it also comes into play when you are looking for a qualified instructor. A responsible instructor ideally has an insured program, safety stirrups, and requires helmets and appropriate foot wear. A responsible instructor should maintain a safe riding facility that fits it's purpose, and maintain their lesson horses in a safe condition for what they are doing. For example; a 20' round pen is not an ideal set-up for teaching a student to jump. You also don't want an over-weight, under conditioned horse out jumping with a student or a horse who hasn't had their feet done in four months out trotting around on long toes. Why? Because having a horse that is not in the condition to do what they are doing or not having the appropriate set-up for what you are doing, can get the rider hurt.

The insurance and the maintenance costs for the facility and horses alone will cause an instructor to have to charge a higher price.

When you pay $25-$40 for a responsible, qualified instructor, you are not necessarily paying for the higher quality of teaching (which you will receive with a qualified instructor), you are in most cases paying for the safety precautions that instructor takes to protect your child that the other lower priced instructor does not take. In most cases the responsible, qualified instructor is not even breaking even on teaching at that higher price because of the costs related to teaching riding safely.

Before you settle on an instructor based on price, please consider what you are paying for and consider the consequences of settling for a less safe and less qualified instructor for your child. Even if your child is not physically hurt in a bad riding experience, a bad riding experience caused by poor choice in an instructor can cause confidence and self-esteem to drop and cause them to give up a dream. A good riding experience can enhance a child's self-esteem and confidence, help them to become more outgoing, and help them to remain active and healthy. How much is a good, safe riding experience worth to you as a parent?
~Melissa

Rules Of The Road; Horse and Rider Have The Right Of Way

When I was 12 years old, while riding our horses, my cousin and I were forced out of the breakdown lane and into a huge muddy ditch by a driver who felt we had no right to be riding our horses on the road. He honked his horn, screamed at us, and it was either jump into the ditch or go through his windshield. Between the two of us we remembered his license plate number and when the local police department caught up to him, he claimed to have no idea that horses had the right of way, or any rights on the road at all.  
The unfortunate reality today is that while many people have horses and would like to enjoy riding their horses on trails, there are few trails that continue without the horse and rider having to cross a road or continue for a period of time down the road to get to the next trail. This wouldn't be nearly as unfortunate if motorists knew the Maine State laws pertaining to horses on the road and how to handle an encounter with a horse and rider or horse and cart.
 
By Maine State Law, equestrians, whether riding, driving, or leading their horse have the right of way on public roads; unless the road is marked otherwise. There are 4 simple rules for motorists to follow when encountering a horse and rider:
 
1. SLOW DOWN. Whether the road is posted for 25 or 45, slow down as much as you possibly can before passing the horse and rider. Even if the horse seems completely calm, they can be startled by something and get in your way. If you are speeding by, you are less likely to be able to stop before hitting them and the more force you hit them with, the more likely you are to kill the horse, the rider, yourself, and any passengers you might have. If you hit a horse and rider, that's a 1000lb animal with a person on it's back coming through your windshield and you as the driver of a motor vehicle would be liable.
 
2. MOVE OVER. Give the horse and rider as much space as possible for their safety and to protect your car from getting damage to the side if they should be startled and jump sideways. If you can't fit another car between you and that horse, you're within damage distance.
 
3. WATCH THE RIDER. Equestrians have hand signals, very similar to those of bicyclists and by law, motorists have to pay attention to them. We have turning signals and stopping signals, but one signal that most drivers don't recognize is the "slow down" signal. If a rider looks like they are dribbling an invisible basketball, they are telling you to slow down. This could mean they are riding a young horse, riding an unpredictable horse, that they have young riders with them, or simply that they feel you are going too fast. If a rider puts their hand up asking you to stop, do it. They could be having a problem with their horse and you going by could make it worse and endanger the rider, the horse, and yourself. Another signal you might see is a universal signal called "the bird" and it usually means you did something wrong.
 
4. NO HORN. A common mistake made by often well-meaning drivers is honking the horn to let riders know they are coming. This can startle the horse and cause them to spin around or bolt. This can also be considered against the law under Title 29A, Section 2055, where it states "An operator may not knowingly operate a motor vehicle in a manner to annoy, startle, harass or frighten an animal being ridden or driven on or near a public way."
 
Now I'll address the riders. A few years ago, I submitted a similar article to my local newspaper and not even a week after it was published I came across two teenage riders riding down a busy road, side by side, not paying any attention to traffic. Concerned for their safety, I pulled over to talk to them and they told me that according to the newspaper article that I wrote, they had the right of way which meant they could do anything on the road that they wanted to do. This is not true and thinking this way could get you hurt or killed.
 
Advice for riding on the road, in no particular order.
USE YOUR HEAD. Right of way does not mean you can do anything you want on the road. Keep in mind that you are riding an animal with a mind of it's own and that you are sharing the road with vehicles much larger than your horse. Doing something stupid on the road could get you or someone else hurt or killed. When it comes down to that, it doesn't matter who has the right of way or who was right or wrong; We need both equestrians and motorists to work together to keep everyone safe.
 
GOOD JUDGEMENT. If your horse is acting up and a car is coming, consider getting off your horse and leading them into a nearby driveway or a field. If you have a horse that regularly acts up or is known not to be road safe, keep them at home.
 
RIDE WITH TRAFFIC. Like bicyclists, equestrians are required to go with traffic.
 
PAY ATTENTION. Listen and watch for traffic. If you think you hear a car coming from behind, look over your shoulder. By doing this, you are letting the driver know that you know they are coming and that will usually keep them from honking their horn. Also be aware that motorists aren't always paying attention; they may be distracted by kids, text messaging, or talking on their cell phone. Be ready to get out of the way.
 
STAY ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. Your safest in the breakdown lane or on the shoulder and it gives cars more room to get around you.
 
KNOW AND USE HAND SIGNALS. If you don't know them, I recommend you ask your trainer or look them up online.
 
RIDE SINGLE FILE. Don't ride side by side. It makes you harder to miss if a car comes from around a corner or over a hill.
 
WEAR A HELMET. This is a personal choice, but it could save your life someday.
 
WEAR HIGHLY VISABLE CLOTHING. There are actually trail riding vests available online that are highly visible and have directions for passing motorists written on them. I would highly recommend this or any similar clothing if you are riding on the road.
 
CARRY A PEN AND PAPER. If a motorist doesn't respect you on the road; if they throw something at you, honk or yell at you, speed by you way too close, or ignore your hand signals, take down their license number and file a report. There are laws in place to help keep you safe while riding on the road, but law enforcement needs you help to keep those laws enforced. Something may not have happened this time, but by filing a report you might actually save another rider later on.
 
If you can avoid riding on the road, avoid it. Unfortunately, riding on the road isn't as safe as we'd like it to be.
For a complete list of laws regarding equestrians on the road, please visit www.legislature.maine.gov and go to Title 29A, Section 2055. Be safe and enjoy the warmer weather!

Melissa Beckwith
www.pleasantlakefarm.net

The Push I Needed

"Breathe, sit, leg on, and visualize a smooth consistent canter."

It wasn't smooth and it wasn't consistent, but we tried. I was coaching myself on Sharade again. Coaching myself wasn't an unusual event since Molly and her daughters sold their farm and moved to Florida nearly 2 years earlier. I used the excuse that affording regular lessons with someone I felt was worth my time and money was not in my budget, leaving me to continue on my own.

Sharade's attempt at a canter left much to be desired. At the walk and trot she was fun and could make anyone who knew how to post look good. Her canter on the other hand was an example of why many people believe the myth that Standardbreds can't canter. To this day I believe that this myth exists because of a combination of one of Sharade's ancestors and a trainer who finally threw their hands up in the air and said "I give up". Sharade can canter, but she does not canter very well.

I let out a deep sigh. "Let's try this again. Sit up, deep breath, leg on, keep contact, ride through, ride through, ride through." And there we had it, a decent canter for three and a half strides before it fell apart and turned into her pacey scramble.

"See you can canter like a normal horse, when we are working together on it," I laughed. Those three and a half strides were exhausting. It was so much work for not much canter. We worked on the canter for awhile longer and ending on a good note, a whole four strides, I put Sharade away for the night.

The following day, a student of mine, Rachel wanted to ride Sharade for her lesson. I agreed knowing that Rachel knew that if she rode Sharade it would only be a walk/trot lesson.

It was a good lesson and towards the end I allowed myself to get talked into letting them do some work over cross rails, which Sharade enjoyed and did fairly well at despite not having a nice canter. Rachel got into her two point position and guided Sharade down the center line towards the 18" cross rail I had set up. Sharade popped over it and continued trotting down the center line until Rachel gradually guided her to the right and back up the rail.

They went back down the center line and back over the cross rail. This time Sharade acted as though she wanted to canter away from the jump, but as instructed, Rachel kept her at a trot and turned her to the left and up the rail.

"Can I let her canter away from the next one?" Rachel asked. Usually I would have said no, but today something made me say "We can give it a try."

Rachel steered Sharade down the center line, preparing for the cross rail and Sharade's God awful canter. I remember almost changing my mind before they got there, then Sharade picked up her canter two strides before the cross rail. It was a decent canter with two equal strides and a good jump and then Rachel rode her away from the jump at the canter; One, two, three, four, five, six, seven strides and they transitioned to the trot without a single stride of awkward canter nor a single stride being paced.

Rachel had shown me up. She could get Sharade to canter and she could get Sharade to transition to the trot with no pacing in between. I had yet to accomplish this with Sharade.

Proud of my student, but shocked and a bit embarrassed, I emailed Pam at Hoof Pix Farm and asked when Babette Lena would be back. I would have to find a way to work regular lessons back into my budget.
Sincerely,
Melissa Beckwith