Last weekend I went to the horse show with 6 horses – I rode Harvey, Natasha, Luigi, and Kensington. My husband German rode his horse Frankie and our student rode Ralph! It was an adventure. We got drenched in the pouring rain and did all the grooming and mucking ourselves! We all learned so much and it was the best weekend ever. If you are planning on competing this year, or going to any clinics or trips away from home, I wanted to share a few tips to help you. One of the most important parts of riding and especially competing is your mindset:
- Set an intention for your ride: One of my big goals for this show season is to give my horses a positive experience in the show ring. Just like in schooling, I want to ride each movement with clear purpose, organization and intention and remember to release the aids and reward my horse. Sometimes in the show ring, I hurry through the movements and ride with too much pressure. During Natasha’s Grand Prix, I was really proud that I was able to ride each movement, and reward her, and release my aids in between.
- It’s all about the journey: This weekend was Harvey’s first official Grand Prix ever! I have had Harvey since he was 5 and he’s now 11. It’s incredible the bond that I have with him and I am so proud of how far we’ve come. Harvey is an incredibly sensitive horse and I really have to ride him with the lightest aids possible!
- It’s not going to be perfect – my goal at the show for all my horses is always just that they get a little better every day. Luigi, my “baby” horse is 7 this year and it was his first time doing 4th level. The first day we were schooling and he was a bit tight and distracted and I had a difficult time with the tempi changes. The second day, he did the most awful, crooked and unbalanced halt at the beginning of our test. It was so bad that I just cracked a big smile and went on with my ride – ahh baby horses!! But as the weekend went on he got better and better in his attitude and focus. He even coped with some really muddy and uneven footing. I was so proud of him!
- Groundwork is a HUGE part of competing and it is absolutely essential that your horse has excellent ground manners. you spend a ton of time with your horse on the ground at a show. Trailer loading, tacking and untacking, wash racks, and hand walking. It is so nice when your horse has good ground manners. Don’t forget to practice ground manners at home – it really pays off when you go to the show!
- You need help and support – Especially at a show you need help and support. It is really hard to do a show completely alone. Make friends, ask for help and support others – they will help you back! I am incredibly grateful to my incredible husband German, Natasha’s owner Karen, my coach Joh Hinnemann, and everyone else who makes these shows possible.
I hope these tips were helpful! I love my horses and I love spending time with them. If you want more details on the show, click here to watch my Facebook Live from Thursday. I go LIVE every Thursday at 6 pm PT to answer your questions. Also, check out my podcast, Dressage with Amelia.
P.S. If you’re showing this summer, and you want some additional help, check out these courses:
Training Level Masterclass (2023 v.)
