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Flossy is well known to many on the British Dressage Forum as a teller of interesting stories and perhaps the odd joke or two. We have selected a few tales for your pleasure.
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Snoring
Recently on the BD forum was a thread highlighting how difficult it is to find a trainer compatible with students needs and style of learning.
Different people want a different style of teaching , there are those that admit that unless they receive a regular kick up the but they fall into a useless mode and other require the gentle touch of a feather duster when confronted with the truth in relation to their riding capabilities, hence we have riding instructors covering the whole spectrum of information delivery methods , from the one that shoots instruction at you like an automatic machinegun, 600 correction a minute a quick pause for magazine change and repeat at twice the speed of sound, to trainers that will convey all situation and all necessary instruction with one syllabus word “AHHH ”
The roll of a dressage trainer is further complicated due to the fact that trainers are not only expected to posses technical knowledge but required to have also entertaining and personal charisma in order to stimulate and engage the new generation of aspiring dressage riders.
There is a definite contradiction between dressage and every thing else around us , it is like moving from two different worlds every thing about dressage is time and patience, snail pace is the fastest pace, in the world of turbo charged horse boxes travelling at zillion miles an hour from one side of Europe to the other side , scores appearing on the internet before the judges actually giving them, secret cameras noting what colour ones tongue is in mega pixels, suddenly sitting on a natural leather saddle, having to employ physical body contact with living thing, is completely alien to the new generation of riders that are used to switch on/off every thing by a blink of the eye.
Unfortunately even with all the modern (may be because of ) technology of learning aids, the learning the processes of mastering dressage has not been shortened or made easier , you can spend as long as you wish on a horse simulator/stimulator , wear all the electronic vests with many flicking lights like a giant Christmas tree and have all the classical books streamed into your head from a mobile Kindle,you will still need to put in the long boring hours of sitting trot , no stirrups etc.
For a generation that every thing is measured by instantaneous and speed the old fashion attitude of older trainers that there is always tomorrow, a clash of personalities is very much on the agenda.
One very old trainer was at his wits end with a student suffering from what is known in the industry “popcorn brain”, every exercise could be learnt faster with an I pad while riding, “lets move on and do the piaffe straight on centreline is boring”
“But you need to acquire a better position before you can do these movements” the old trainer told this young person to which his reply was “ All this sitting trot with out stirrups puts my arse to sleep”
“YES “ said the old trainer “I HEARD IT SNORING SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE LESSON”
Different people want a different style of teaching , there are those that admit that unless they receive a regular kick up the but they fall into a useless mode and other require the gentle touch of a feather duster when confronted with the truth in relation to their riding capabilities, hence we have riding instructors covering the whole spectrum of information delivery methods , from the one that shoots instruction at you like an automatic machinegun, 600 correction a minute a quick pause for magazine change and repeat at twice the speed of sound, to trainers that will convey all situation and all necessary instruction with one syllabus word “AHHH ”
The roll of a dressage trainer is further complicated due to the fact that trainers are not only expected to posses technical knowledge but required to have also entertaining and personal charisma in order to stimulate and engage the new generation of aspiring dressage riders.
There is a definite contradiction between dressage and every thing else around us , it is like moving from two different worlds every thing about dressage is time and patience, snail pace is the fastest pace, in the world of turbo charged horse boxes travelling at zillion miles an hour from one side of Europe to the other side , scores appearing on the internet before the judges actually giving them, secret cameras noting what colour ones tongue is in mega pixels, suddenly sitting on a natural leather saddle, having to employ physical body contact with living thing, is completely alien to the new generation of riders that are used to switch on/off every thing by a blink of the eye.
Unfortunately even with all the modern (may be because of ) technology of learning aids, the learning the processes of mastering dressage has not been shortened or made easier , you can spend as long as you wish on a horse simulator/stimulator , wear all the electronic vests with many flicking lights like a giant Christmas tree and have all the classical books streamed into your head from a mobile Kindle,you will still need to put in the long boring hours of sitting trot , no stirrups etc.
For a generation that every thing is measured by instantaneous and speed the old fashion attitude of older trainers that there is always tomorrow, a clash of personalities is very much on the agenda.
One very old trainer was at his wits end with a student suffering from what is known in the industry “popcorn brain”, every exercise could be learnt faster with an I pad while riding, “lets move on and do the piaffe straight on centreline is boring”
“But you need to acquire a better position before you can do these movements” the old trainer told this young person to which his reply was “ All this sitting trot with out stirrups puts my arse to sleep”
“YES “ said the old trainer “I HEARD IT SNORING SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE LESSON”
