Endure for the Cure - Bittersweet Success!

With all the rain we've had in the midwest this spring and summer, it's slowed down our progress in building the endurance resumes of some of our horses.

Endure for the Cure came up on the calendar and luckily it wasn't going to be the usual high heat and humidity for this ride. And although ride management does a fantabulous job taking care of horses and riders (handing out cool towels in VC line - AWESOME!), it may not be the preferred ride to start out some of your newbies at. But this year, a little cool weather and a promised window between T-storms, and it seemed like the perfect time to bring some horses.

Attempting their first LD ride at this event were Desert Bred Arabians' young stallion, DB Ibn Jalam (pictured above from his performance at the Al Khamsa convention last year) along with the horse version of the energizer bunny, DB Caprih (pictured below at a H/J show). Caprih is just cute as a bug, and a dynamo in a small horse body (she's about 14.2). She's incredibly balanced and athletic, so it was exciting to see her taking on a new discipline outside of the show ring in endurance. Sarah Sanders, the head trainer at DB Arabians, was riding Jalam and one of the young assistant trainers, Megan, was riding Caprih.

Providing transportation, housing and all around inspiration was Paula Kaigh, one of our boarders and endurance guru with over 1000 miles racked up. She was bringing her 5 yr old gelding Ibn Desert Dhellal who was adding one more LD to his young career.

The 3 started the LD together and all was going smooth as silk. They were pacing well together, and stallion Ibn Jalam behaved like a gentleman on trail and off. The 3 were in the lead into the second loop, and eventually Sarah and Megan chose to slow up a bit so Caprih started paying better attention to taking care of herself, eating and drinking.

Paula finished in 1st, at least a half hr ahead of other riders, and Sarah and Megan were likely in 2nd and 3rd out on the trail. But SURPRISE - ride management advised because of some confusing trail markings she had missed going around a certain meadow. To get a completion she would need to go back out and get that meadow. Argh! Sarah and Megan ran into the same problem, but they were told while they were still on the course, so they didn't have to come all the way in to find out. By then, RM figured out the snafu and had sent someone out to advise other riders of the confusing spot and to better mark the turn.

So back out to that evil meadow went Paula...which meant a 45 minute detour for her, all to pick up that meadow that took a whole 7 minutes to go around. Double argh! Even more frustrating to know that even if she had done that meadow, she still would have finished well in first with that 30 minute lead that she had.

But the ride was still a success - Ibn Desert Dhellal added 25 miles to his mileage and gained much more in experience and maturity. Ibn Jalam and Caprih began their journey on learning what pacing, eating and drinking was all about. Definitely a great foundation to their endurance careers!

Utah Recap

Our road weary riders have decompressed from their journey and had lots to share. See below:

“Turn the worry into work!”

Paula, atop her young 5 yr old Arabian gelding, eyed the round pen with suspicion. Here, in the middle of the Utah desert, her horse thought he was under attack by hissing, spraying monsters. Well, not exactly monsters….sprinklers really, but they were keeping them from entering the round pen to continue their lesson with a renowned clinician. Some clinicians would have turned the sprinklers off, or some clinicians would have you work somewhere else. But not Janiece Wilson– it’s a training opportunity! So when Paula’s young horse decided he wanted no part of these monsters and backed away, Janiece told her to push on and “turn the worry into work”! Janiece had Paula and her horse continue backing and turned it into an exercise. Eventually, the horse got tired of moving backwards, and eventually went forward and thru the water, building confidence in himself and his rider. Success!

“Turn the worry into work!” This was one of the many “Janiece-isms” heard by Sarah Sanders and Paula Kaigh during their week of clinics with Janiece Wilson in St. George Utah. Janiece Wilson, one of the few remaining certified Monte Foreman trainers, forms her teachings around the Monte Foreman Basic Handle which teaches riders to move with their horse in a way that communicates with them naturally.

Sarah Sanders, manager and trainer for The Riding Center of Freeburg, Illinois and Paula Kaigh, endurance enthusiast and one of many riders who board at The Riding Center, were enjoying their second series of clinics with Janiece on this trip. Last summer, The Riding Center benefited from a visit from Janiece where she instructed trainers, boarders and working students alike. The lessons were long and challenging, but enlightening. So much so, that when Sarah and Paula had an opportunity to take another round of Janiece’s clinics in beautiful Utah, they had only one reaction – ROADTRIP!

So trailer packed, and accompanied by assistant trainer Jamie Lamborn who wore the photographer hat for the trip, the ladies headed out on their adventure. Other than running into a snowstorm in Texas (who would’ve thought?) that almost forced them to overnight at a dead ringer for the Bates Motel, the trip out was smooth sailing. Unfortunately, their schedule meant they drove through the most beautiful scenery at night, so they made sure they saw it on the way back.

This was the first long journey for the horses they were bringing with them. Paula brought her two Arabian geldings, DB Ibn Dhellal and DB Dahman, along with Sarah’s mount, DB Ibn Jalam, an Arabian stallion owned by The Riding Center (aka Desert Bred Arabians). All three handled the journey like veterans, even though none had been on an all day trip before, let alone 2 days.

Both Sarah and Paula had goals to build on what they already knew, but for different purposes. Paula reflected “…It was a great way to jump-start the spring season. Time to throw out the old excuses and just get on with it.”
As a trainer, Sarah wanted to not only add to her skills, but learn the skills in a way she could instruct other students. "I wanted to work on advanced movements with my horse. Janiece helped me with finishing work and really got my horse and me dancing with each other. Now I can take the information I learned in Utah and apply it to all of my other horses. I can also better help my students in communicating with their own horse.”

What is unique about the teaching skills of Janiece’s? Why would two riders want to travel half way across the country just to ride under her guidance for a few days? “Janiece absolutely lives and breathes the Monte Foreman method and can apply it to any level of horseback riding and any discipline. She pushes us to think about why we are doing what we are doing in the way that we are doing it. How will one particular skill help with another?
Sarah notes that the Janiece’s instruction of the Basic Handle isn’t focused on western arts style of riding. “She rode Hunter/ Jumpers when she was younger. I think that gives her credibility to being open minded. She understands different disciplines and that helps her students in every discipline.”

And for Sarah and Paula, the measure of the success of the trip was in quiet moments of moving in synch with their horses. For Paula, “... all it amounted to was a 360 over the haunches that felt light and perfectly in synch. Janiece said that my horse wanted to dance with me, and in that moment we danced. “

If you want to learn how to dance with your horse, Sarah Sanders is available for lessons at The Riding Center (www.theridingcenterinc.com) or clinics at your place or hers! Learn the Monte Foreman Basic Handle and contact Sarah at (618) 977-2625.