Strides Member of the Month for August!
Each month, we will be profiling one of our Strides Student Members, so everyone can get to know each other a little! This month, we’ve chosen Diana Columbus!
Where are you from?:
Kenosha, Wisconsin
How long have you been a member of Strides?:
I’ve been a member since November 2021
What’s your favorite part of Strides?:
There is so much I love about Strides! I think I joined first because I realized there was a hole in my learning. I was taking lessons once a week but there wasn’t enough time to discuss the theory behind why were working on specific aspects of my horse’s development. Since I work alone a lot, I felt it was important to learn when to do certain exercises to help with specific challenges. The second reason is I can learn any time I want, which is sooo convenient!
How has Strides helped you?:
Strides has helped me learn so much! I think the most important thing is to pay attention to what I do out of the saddle, as much as I pay attention to what I do in the saddle. We are asymmetrical simply by the way we move every day. Our horses are the same way. If we are going to work successfully together, we have to understand where those differences are and mindfully work to address those asymmetries EVERY day.
What kind of horses are your favorite?:
I love Arabians. Their beauty take my breath away. If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, “They are just too hot,” I could have bought my next prospect. Their history, living with the Bedouin in the family tents, have made them so sensitive to us. They understand us so much more acutely than most people realize. I’m a veterinary technician, so animal body language is how I work every day. I appreciate that sensitivity.
What’s your goal for 2023?:
My goal for 2023 is to become confident and comfortable enough in second level to earn above a 60 percent in test 1. I want to earn my bronze medal.
What is something unique about you, your journey or your horse?:
My horse was an unbroke 10 year old stallion that was abandoned in the barn I was boarding my other horse at the time. He took my breath away. After I bought and gelded him, we did groundwork for a year before my trainer helped me start him. I did most of the work myself because I didn’t have the money for full training. Dino decided to trust me, and we’re continuing our journey.
What achievement (with horses or not) you most proud of?:
My proudest achievement was taking Dino to the Arabian Sport Horse Nationals in 2019 and earning a Top 10 in Training level. I cried after we finished our test because I was so proud of him. It was a 20 year goal of mine to participate in that show. To come home with a Top 10 was an amazing feeling!
What challenges have you overcome?:
My biggest challenge continues to be motivating my late starter to work. He gets bored easily and he does better when he thinks the work is interesting. I can’t stay on a 20 meter circle too long. I have to change up the exercises often or he tunes out. I’m also learning to ride more quietly, so he listens. If I ask too often, he will tune out.
Open field for you to use to tell us anything you want to share:
It doesn’t matter where we are in our journey with horses. For most of us, I feel like horses are in our blood. What matters is that we continue to learn, be a positive contributor to our sport and enjoy the journey.
