Multi-Olympic and European medal-winning dressage rider Carl Hester MBE shares his life classes which embrace holding selection, surrounding your self with optimistic individuals and doing what you’re keen on most…
Born and bred on the Channel Island of Sark, my mother and father had been a bit shocked after I instructed them I used to be embarking on a profession in horses. However regardless of every part, they supported me wholeheartedly. They at all times instructed me, “Do what makes you cheerful.”
As a result of I got here from Sark, I used to be unaware of the icons of the day, and my journey to the highest was very quick. I went to work for “Dr B” (Dr Wilfried Bechtolsheimer) and was competing in a World Championship the next yr in 1990.
My first reminiscence of top-class dressage was Nicole Uphoff on Rembrandt as a result of she was there profitable gold. It blew my thoughts, as a result of it was distinctive how she rode and the way elegant her checks had been.
My different icons must be Jennie Loriston-Clarke, who was my first inspiration in dressage, and Richard Davison, who’s at all times so approachable.
The coaching tip I stay by is to get your horse in self-carriage. Again within the early days, after I was coaching with Bert Rutten, he at all times suggested me that coaching a horse to grand prix was one factor, however having a horse in self-carriage was the important thing.
Horses aren’t designed to spend all day in a steady, so on veterinary recommendation we hold our horses transferring, whether or not that’s via turnout, time on the walker, in-hand grazing or in-hand strolling. And coaching on completely different surfaces retains your horse’s tendons and ligaments robust and ready to deal with the calls for of various terrain.
Fortunately, I’ve had different equestrian expertise apart from dressage, corresponding to eventing, so I’ve at all times realised that the happiest horses are those who wish to do it, and that comes via selection.
Carl Hester: “It’s not life or loss of life”
In relation to what I do on a contest day, everyone seems to be completely different and what works for one particular person, gained’t work for an additional. For me, I attempt to encompass myself with optimistic individuals who cease me fascinated by the competitors forward – I really feel that’s finest handled once you’re on board.
Earlier than I enter the world I attempt to assume, “That is solely dressage”. It’s not a life-or-death state of affairs. I bear in mind this and it helps take the strain off.
I don’t want I’d identified something after I was 16, as a result of my life has been such a shock. I had no thought what I needed to do, who I needed to be or what path I needed to go down. Yearly has been a shock and I’d moderately that than “I want I’d identified”.
The horse I want I had now must be Escapado, who completed third within the particular on the European Championships in 2005. He was the primary prime horse I had alone. He was pretty extremely strung and I did every part I might in these days to make the very best of what I had.
I want I’d had the data and expertise I’ve now as a result of though he was a highly regarded sort of horse, he nonetheless might have been even higher.
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