Easter has come and gone and so has a vast amount of chocolate. More than a few horses may have swivelled their heads around (as horses do) when their riders climbed aboard weighing a little extra. I am sure horses have a built in set of scales. We once had a pony who wouldn’t tolerate a rider over 50 kilograms and deposited many foolhardy souls onto the turf to make his point. Horses certainly do have an accurate sense of time. Anyone who is five minutes late feeding their horse knows that. I wonder what the BRC members horses feel about how busy they have been lately and whether they are, like mine, marching briskly away to hide when they see the horse float being packed.
Berry Riding Club had a very full calendar of events over Easter with dressage, show jumping and cross country clinics available and very well attended. This year we have already had several Dressage skills development days with Carolyn James as coach and riders are very happy with the progress of their horses under her guidance. Ashley Adams has been conducting successful jumping and cross country clinics for those who like to get airborne with a horse. I was once asked why riders kept having lessons. “Once you can ride why would you bother?” the person asked. I explained that riding is a discipline which more than any other, demands a set of experienced eyes on the ground. It is above all a partnership; never perfect but always open to improvement. I said that even the most elite riders regularly submit to intensive coaching and that is an important aspect of their success. No matter how experienced, capable or successful you are, a rider must be humble enough to accept correction and coaching. It takes hard work, commitment, dedication and courage to be an effective rider and the passion that fuels equestrian sport can be seen at any event from a local gymkhana to the glamour of an event like the recent Sydney CDI Dressage event. It is exciting to watch the elite riders and horses performing at their peak but I am sure many of the competitors at our recent club Dressage Championship gained personal pleasure and a sense of achievement at their own performance and are planning for future competitions. As always you can find out more by following us on Facebook or visiting www.berryridingclub.