Aiken Wrap up

I thought I would take some time after being home before writing a summary of my time in Aiken, in order to process everything I learned. First of all I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Boyd Martin for allowing me to come work and train at his facility. He was generous with his time and effort, making it a really great learning opportunity for the horses and I. Secondly, I need to thank the girls at Boyd's (Shannon, Lillian, & Sarah) with whom I had alot of fun and learned something from each one. Also, Bubba Forester was a real gem always willing to lend a helping hand (he owned Sandy Hills where the horses were boarded) and make fun conversation ( and let's not forget the yummy donuts that give Krispy Kreme a run for their money on Sunday mornings!) Lastly, my hosts Shari and "D" made me feel right at home in my little apartment, and set me up with all kinds of appliances so that I could make some good stuff to eat. They took great care of me, even allowing me to use their washer and dryer for laundry. You guys are great!

So on to what I learned. I think that this is a discussion to be had on several levels. First, there is of course, what i learned about my riding. There is nothing like immersing yourself in your craft for a long period of time without any distractions or stresses from "the real world." It showed me that I need to be more motivated and disciplined in my riding. I found that the fitter I got, the better I rode. I enjoyed taking care of the horses myself, and it was wonderful getting to know each one of the horses better. As far as techniques, this is where the "You just have to go do it" applies. The thing that really resonated with me was during a lesson Boyd said, "There is no secret recipe or exercise I can give you to figure this out. You just have to go do it and not be afraid to make some mistakes." As soon as I stopped worrying about the mistakes, I started riding better and better. Our confidence over bigger jumps increased, and culminated with a great cross country school the last day of the trip. As for the dressage horses, Silva helped me to be more specific, ride in a quiet slow manner, feeling where each leg of the horse is at all times. With Goodman she really figured him out quickly and got me to ride him slower and smaller to organize his body and give him confidence. She worked the half pass and changes and was able to show me how to "put the pressure on" without pushing him over the edge. She worked on my seat which helped me to ride Leggs more effectively and be strong in my core. I also was able to watch some of the Team training sessions with Capt Mark Phillips and Oded Shimoni, giving great insight into what they are looking for from the people at the top of the sport. I think I have come away with alot of great ideas, and a game plan for the next year to bump my riding up to the next level.

Being away from your family also allows you the time to redefine yourself and discover some things about yourself that you may have forgotten, or never knew in the first place. It reminded me of my strength and enthusiasm, as well as how we can let "life" get in the way of things that really matter. It is a great time to evaluate who you are as a person, remind yourself who you are without the labels of being a wife/mom/daughter/sister/co-worker...the list goes on and on. I hope I have come back a better wife and mom to my boys; I know I am much calmer in my heart.

Its great to be home, and I am excited and optimistic for the year ahead with all of our wonderful horses, students, and of course family.