This August, we are celebrating youth riders on YourDressage! From features on remarkable young dressage enthusiasts across the country, to articles about some of the opportunities USDF offers to youth, we want to hear from the future of our sport!
Here, a young rider from Region 7 tells us how she adapted to her sensitive horse, and the importance of “less is more.”
By Isabel Pierce
Hey there, my name is Isabel Pierce, and I am a 17-year-old dressage rider based in Northern California. My horse, Impression, affectionately known as “Pretzel,” is a 17.2-hand Dutch Warmblood (KWPN) gelding with a big personality (and an even bigger tongue, which he frequently uses to acquire extra treats!). The most special thing about Pretzel is, by far, his personality. He is silly, inquisitive, and a bit nosy. If it were up to him, he would love to be a lap dog. Pretzel never fails to make me smile with his happy eyes or when he sticks his tongue out for pictures. He is very interested in learning everything about everything, and he is always searching for something new to lick. And he loves to be included in everything, even if I am just putting my gloves on.
When I was first shopping for a new horse, I was looking for an educated and “push-button” type schoolmaster that I could start showing at Third and Fourth Level almost immediately. Unfortunately, most horses of this type were outside of our budget, including Pretzel. I watched his ad reappear numerous times with price reductions, and each time I would show it to my mom in hopes that we could go try him. Eventually, she agreed, and we flew out to see him the weekend of my sixteenth birthday.
I immediately fell in love with his demeanor and puppy-dog personality on the ground, but when I rode, he gave a big indication that should have made us pass him by – Pretzel showed us that he was an unpredictable bolter. I thought this was a one-time thing, and begged my mom to have him vetted. However, as soon as he came home, he proved that his bolting was common, and there were never any warning signs that he was going to bolt. This instilled a slight sense of fear, but the bolts all seemed manageable… until they became the reason we put him up for sale. When we took him to his first show, he took off in the warmup, and it took three people to help stop him. I was so scared by the incident that I couldn’t get back on him, and we decided to put him on the market.
A few months later, I wanted to try riding him again, but around this same time, I took him out for a walk and he bolted in hand, breaking my clavicle. I was unable to ride for three months, and in that time, we put him into an intensive training program to keep him working while I recovered. Surprisingly, coming back from my injury gave me more confidence to ride Pretzel, because it showed me that I was able to manage more than I thought.
We discovered that he had some large holes in his training, and restarted at ground zero. It took lots of time to understand how to ride him softly but insistently, and it took just as much time to build a relationship where we could trust each other. However, once we could trust each other, we began improving at a rapid pace, and he started to show glimpses of the true superstar that he was. We started this show season with low expectations, being willing to scratch every ride if he felt anxious or inattentive. However, he surprised everyone with his superb focus and willingness to do everything to the best of his abilities. He turned out to be an eager competitor, winning numerous high-point awards throughout the season. Even so, he never fully gave up his bolting, but with consistency and confidence, we have been able to minimize the occurrences.
We recently competed at the Golden State Dressage Classic in the California Dressage Society (CDS) Junior/Young Rider Championships at First Level, where we won our division by over 4%, and were awarded the overall Junior Rider High Score Championship. This show showed me how much hard work pays off. It demonstrated the culmination of six months’ worth of training the basics, relearning the importance of half-halts, and building a relationship that focused on minimizing tension in a talented horse. This show has definitely been our greatest accomplishment, not just because of our performance, but because of the change in how we ride. This weekend solidified my belief that Pretzel just needed to build trust for him to succeed.
Pretzel has taught me how to be a more methodical and adaptive rider, demonstrating truth to the mantra “less is more” in training and use of aids. He will never give you anything for free, but he will always give you exactly what you ask for. He has made me much more aware of my leg position, seat, and hands, because he shows every change I make in my body. Difficult horses demand exactness, creating talented, dedicated riders.
The horses who make riders work for every step are the most rewarding to ride because they allow for real progress and improvement to occur. I would not be the rider I am today without Pretzel and his quirks; he has made me exact – exact in my aids, in my planning for the ride, and in my release and rewards. When difficult horses ask for more from their rider, the rider learns how to give more confidence and direction to their horse. Even though they are not easy, they create accurate and attuned riders as a result of their necessity for proper guidance.
Even past dressage, Pretzel has influenced my life because he showed me how the journey is just as rewarding as the destination. He has shown me how every day is a blessing, and how the long nights at the barn and frustrating lessons are all critical to one’s success. Being able to look back and appreciate every day of training is just as valuable as reminiscing about all the scores and awards that we have won. This perspective has made me more optimistic and grateful when I look back on everything in my life. He has also shown me the value of hard work, even when it is exhausting and difficult. The delayed gratification that comes from the long hours of work reinforces my drive and encourages me to keep working towards the goals I wish to accomplish.
