Making a living

The cream of the British dressage trainers were having their unofficial get together during the  national championship, as always  it took place  in the bar the night before the  first class.

After the serious business of deciding whose  pupil  turn it is to win a class  and how to insure that  the current pet judges will follow the explicit instruction in this matter   the conversation  focused  on issues that really occupy  the mind of the professional  trainers,  “Can you really make a living  working with horses  ?”

There were  twice as many opinions as the number of trainers present  but  all  agreed  that the current state of mind of the British dressage rider, that a lesson  once a week  or less often  is sufficient for  reasonable  progress ,  is not helping the trainers financial circumstances  and an urgent plan must be devised how to change the dressage fraternity to a way of thinking that unless they have a regular daily lesson  the trainer is not obliged to promote them with his under the thumb judge.

The  up to date list detailing's  which one of ones pupil is really riding at the top of the game will not include  the “once weekly lesson student”, eligibility  to be included on my best pupil list is minimum of three lessons  a week  .

Dressage riders has the unrealistic expectations, that for a lesson a week or less often ,   they will be taught how to get neck control , accurate figure riding, feel  and  even  mentoring, for this kind of commitment  to our life style  (of the trainers) all what you get is just how to  “ hold the reins”

Listening to al this winging and whining  was  the current visiting German   uber trainer   who could not help it and laugh  at the Brits .

“Of course  you can make a living  from horses “  he joined the conversation in his distinctive German  accent, “ In Germany trainers make a  very good living from horses,  When I  started  de Graber equestrian  gewirtschaft    all what I hade  was  one pr of boots and a little brown very old leather suitcase  that I inherited from my grandpapa who was an uber trainer  before me , and look  I now drive a Porch xl5000  I own the Munster reit und fhart schule   and change into a new pr of boots when the one I am wearing needs polishing   IF YOU KNOW THE  SECRET THEN  SELL IT  “he summed up his little speech  and downed another beer with a schnapps  chaser.

All  the  BD trainers   silenced up ,  pretending the old Ladas and Skoda's  parked out side do not belong to them .

Only Junior Trainer summed up the courage and asked this  super uber trainer  “ you know  the little old suit case   you got  from your grandpapa  was there anything in it?”

“Absolutely  it was full “  was the reply

“What was it full with ?” Junior trainer asked with the impunity of youth.

her  Mr  de Graber    paused for a moment and then said   “Pounds and pounds of English money  my grand papa earned teaching in the  UK  he could not do it in Germany “