Training in Germany

Many people have asked me what it was like doing my trainer exams in Germany, and the difference between them and our BHS system. As I have experience of both, and have just booked to sit my Trainer B exams in Germany this September, I thought I’d both refresh my memories and share my thoughts.

After several years of juggling a full time job, an 80 mile round trip every day to ride my horse who was then stabled at Oldencraig, squeezing in schoolmaster lessons at weekends (as I don’t believe its possible to stay riding fit/supple/balanced by training just the one horse), plus often helping friends with their riding problems, I realised something had to change. I wanted more hours in the saddle, more free time to watch and learn, plus not have to end up eating a dinner of Tesco sandwiches in the car whilst driving back home at 9pm from the yard! My bookshelf was already full of everything from Seunig to Belasik to Podhajsky, and I was training at the time with Eileen O’Connor, a pupil of Franz Rochowansky of the Spanish Riding School. So I knew I wanted to pursue my interests in classical riding but wasn’t too sure where to start. I considered moving abroad to train in Europe, I also looked into courses at places like Talland, and I researched the BD Apprentice scheme. In the end I thought I’d take my BHS Stages locally and go from there. David Rumsey, whose yard I spent 18 months at, also encouraged me and we had a long chat about careers in the equestrian industry.

It was quite fun to be studying something I enjoyed, but it wasn’t long before the health and safety aspects started to grate and I felt this was taking me further away from what I was actually interested in. I sat my Stages 1 and 2 before deciding this wasn’t what I wanted to do. I think the BHS system is really valuable and a very useful framework, but the riding side of it just didn't coincide with what excited and drove me. A while before this I had spent time at the riding school in Verden and made friends with a Bereiter there, Alina, who came over to stay with me and helped me train Risby. I knew this was more the style of training/teaching that I was aspiring towards but I wasn’t sure how to balance this with my day job. I was also inspired by my dear friend Dr Selene Scarsi who kept her horses with Susanne Meisner in Germany, whose yard I had been to visit and had been amazed by the standard of riding and attention to detail. Selene really made me believe that anything was possible. She herself lived in Italy, worked in England and kept her horses in Germany… a remarkable feat of dedication that made me stop moaning about my 80 mile daily trip!

So I started to research trainers in Germany who I could take Risby to for a few months to get the ball rolling. My top choice was my all time idol, Hubertus Schmidt. Eileen also recommended Ulla Salzgeber highly. Imagine my surprise when both these world famous riders were kind enough to e-mail me back and accept me for training. Wow, this was really happening! I chose Hubertus in the end and to say I was both excited and nervous was an understatement. But sadly it wasn’t to be, as due to a change in personal circumstances Hubertus was then unable to take anyone for training that year. I was gutted, it was too late to make alternate plans with Ulla as her schedule is just so hectic. So it was back to the drawing board.

It was not long after that an amazing opportunity opened up. My good friend Tracey who also trained with Eileen, had come across courses in Germany that were taught in English. They were recognised by the IGEQ which meant they enabled successful participants to join the BHS register. The first stage was the Trainer C, equivalent to the BHSAI. This sounded just what I’d been looking for. Whilst the course lasted a month, there was much preparation and reading to do before hand and it was aimed at people who were trainers already. Luckily most of the course books were already on my bookshelf so I relished the challenge to learn them in more depth. I had to submit a video of me riding and even that made me feel quite nervous, I wondered how critical they would be!

So Tracy and I started studying frantically, discussed our teaching together, and soon found ourselves heading to the airport in September 2011. Just before the course was the Bundeschampionate, or young horse championships, in Warendorf. There we met up with Selene and also Charlotte Goodall, who I had met through the Horse and Hound forum. Selene’s husband Ben, a journalist, had very kindly managed to get us free passes too. What a weekend it was, to see such phenomenal riders having produced naturally talented horses into something very special. In the past I had volunteered at our BD Young Horse Championships, but this was something else on a much bigger scale. Even the pony riders were just unbelievable and so mature in their riding and ring skills. The stalls were also pretty impressive, full of the latest bling, and I treated myself to a super light and comfy Uvex hat.

                                                        Bundeschampion 2011

After an inspiring weekend it was time to put everything into practice. We headed to the Westfalian Riding School which is just outside Munster and met Linda Christie, the course organiser. Originally from the US, Linda had spent many years working and training in Germany and she made us feel welcome immediately. Our accomodation was at the school itself and reminded me of uni halls, with a shared kitchen and communal area. I shared a room with a lovely German girl called Katherina, who would also end up being my partner during our teaching sessions. She was younger than me but having been taught the German methods her whole life, she was a fountain of knowledge and while she helped me with my riding theory, I hope I helped her a little with her English. We were also joined by students (or rather, trainers) from Canada, Norway and the US. Trainer A, B and C are all run together so it was really useful being around others who had different experiences from their own countries. The first night we all went out for a lovely dinner and got to know each other.

Entrance to the riding school

The first proper day started at 6am with yard duties followed by a good breakfast of cheese, rolls and tons of coffee! I met my flatwork horse, Amicelli, a laid back chestnut. However our first lesson was outside and laid back Amicelli was actually incredibly spooky, so much so I could barely keep him on a 20m circle which made me question whether my aids were totally incorrect for use on German horses. It was very windy mind you. Our dressage trainer Andreas was lovely, very firm but very passionate to see us improve. Luckily all the other sessions were inside and Amicelli was good as gold, although it transpired my 20m circles were still not accurate enough for Andreas! It was tough work but as I'd been taught in Germany before I knew we'd be picked apart on our basic riding.

My jumping horse was to be a slightly quirky bay called Colorado. Here was a totally atypical German horse that did not work in any sort of outline, you had to ride him HIS way or he just stopped at fences. A schoolmaster if there ever was one! We had assumed (or rather hoped) our first jumping session would be an introduction to ease us in gently. I should have guessed, in true German style we were flying round an entire 1m course by the end of the first lesson. I'm not a nervous rider, but there was so much new theory which I'd never been taught before in England and so much emphasis on correct riding as in flatwork (outside aids, contact etc) that I was so worried about making a total mess up of it. Our jumping teacher Lena was incredibly knowledgable in her field, and expected very high standards from us all.

In the end I decided to try a different jumping horse, Robert. He was a feisty little bay who just wanted to whiz around everywhere, much more my cup of tea and not unlike my old Junit. I clicked with him straight away although I wasn't quite used to that level of exhilaration anymore! I was always worried when Lena (heavily pregnant) would stand really close to the jumps whilst we were flying around, she obviously trusted my control far more than I did! Colorado was ace round the cross country course so I kept him for that.

Many hours were spent practising our teaching on each other. I had the tough job of having to instruct Katherina which really made me think as she was already a super rider. We also had to learn to lunge in a different way to what I'd practised recently for my BHS Stage 2, with more importance given to the horse's correct way of going. We were extremely lucky to have the head of the school, Martin Plewa (forner coach of the German National Event Team) teach us riding theory. We also spent a lot of time on the lunge ourselves, I got to canter in a racing saddle for the first time which was great fun, we attended various lectures, we tried out Balimo and did floor exercises, plus visited some fantastic tack shops (I was very good and only treated myself to a new Pikeur belt :-P)

Katherina spoilt for choice. Notice all the Pikeur labels, heaven!

We visited Ingrid Klimke's yard and she was really lovely and showed us all her top horses. I found it particularly interesting watching her "in-hand man" (yes in Germany there are people that just start young horses and do ground work) working a particularly hot black horse. There was a calm yet workmanlike atmosphere at the yard.

I was ecstatic to find we would be visiting Hubertus Schmidt's yard :-D I have never felt so in awe around a horseman before despite having trained and been around many top and Olympic riders. When he rides, Hubertus is just naturally part of the horse, everything is effortlessly brilliant and fluent. There was an incredible amount of energy in that school, not just because there were 5 or 6 outstanding riders all riding advanced movements, but the horses are trained to be electric and offer their riders everything, and more. Several horses Hubertus rode looked very "average" as they came into the arena on a loose rein, warmed up in a relaxed and supple way, but wow did they come alive as soon as he picked them up. Such a transformation! And totally in accordance with the German methods. Oh, and all the stallions wear pink bandages, fantastic!

                                        Photo by Brett Ingram

 

 Hubertus talking to us (faints!)

I was lucky to even spend my birthday in Germany. Michelle (originally from Canada but currently a trainer in Norway) very kindly produced a bottle of wine from her room and we left the revision for a while. I remember thinking how 10 years ago I was just starting my university degree and here I was, back as student, taking yet more exams in a totally unrelated field! Life is as interesting as you make it.

Our kitchen, some wine, some kitchen roll and some dubious looking takeaway!

Despite all the excitement we were very aware that our exams were looming. Andreas upped the tempo, Lena really pushed us with our jumping coaching skills, and in the evenings it was text book time. Our first exam was a 3 hour written paper based on the GNEF book, The Principles of Riding, aka The Riding Bible. In case you couldn't guess, I love writing, so sailed through that one. Herr Plewa had taught us thoroughly so I finished the exam feeling fairly confident.

The day before the ridden exams we were frantically plaiting up our horses, cleaning tack and boots. I was very glad I'd learnt "the proper" way of polishing boots all those years ago as I felt this was one of the situations it would really be noticed! We then walked the XC course we'd be riding the next day.

Katherina walking the course in her own way ;-)

The main exam day was one of the longest and most tiring days ever. We started with yard duties as usual, then we had to sit the Basispass which is a basic stable management exam which you must sit before the Trainer C. We then took the lunging exam and I actually found it really interesting discussing with the examiners. It was very much based on applying our theory knowledge to the actual situation. For instance, did we understand WHY we were doing what we were doing, what were the benefits to the horse, was the horse equally supple on both reins? Why had we chosen the auxiliary reins we were using? How could we use lunging to improve this particular horse?

I was then examined on my ability to teach dressage. It was pretty daunting having two German examiners and I could not even guess how it had gone. Then I had to ride the dressage test I'd been practising on Amicelli. I totally fluffed up the medium trot, lost the balance, and overall it could have gone much better. Next I had to teach jumping to 2 riders and that actually went quite well, I felt confident and there was a definite improvement through the session. By this time I was pretty shattered already, and had to do the showjumping on Robert. I wish I'd grabbed a snack as I felt pretty faint! The jumping is judged on technique and not just whether you go clear. Perhaps due to my tiredness, Robert for the first time ran out of a fence and I panicked a little, but pulled myself together then completed the course. I slid off him and was relieved to then have lunch!

Next we had an oral exam on riding theory. We had to critique some riders and horses, talk about what was correct and what wasn't and how it could be improved. Our final test was a XC course with 17 obstacles including a water complex. Herr Plewa himself would be watching this one and he picked me to ride first, yikes! He joked that the round would be timed, but that put me in a really determined frame of mind. Colorado would NOT stop at anything! I have never ridden so positively in my life, we flew over everything, finishing with a big splash through the water... what an amazing adrenaline rush! I immediately felt sad I wouldn't get the chance to ride that again. I started to ponder if in fact I should take up eventing?!

Colorado and I



We found out our results that evening and Tracey and I were over the moon to have passed all sections and would be awarded our Trainer C and International Passport. We all had celebratory drinks with Herr Plewa, Linda and all of our teachers and many photos were taken. Herr Plewa (obviously impressed by our XC haha) joked he would give me Colorado as a souvenir! We said our sad goodbyes to everyone, and it was just Tracey and I left in the dorm to have a big glass of wine, reflect on everything we'd learnt, and think about our plans for the future. We were sure we'd be back to do our Trainer B... Looks like 2013 is the year ;-)

Snowy and Rainy Days

As we are still affected by the snow I thought I’d do a little brainstorm of activities to keep you motivated. We are all so good at keeping our horses warm, cosy and happy in the cold weather but do take some time off to reflect and plan. Tear yourself away from horse forums and researching matching sets and read on...

1)      Have you set you and your horse achievable and appropriate goals for this year? Review them now, you always feel more motivated after a break and it’s a good time to up the pressure. Chances are your trainer is also having a quiet time at present with the bad weather, why not discuss your goals with them? Any good trainer should be happy to help. Do you have all your dressage tests for the next level? If not buy them now, its useful to know what you should be preparing for.

2)      Plan your training for the forthcoming season if you haven’t already. Look into clinics and even residential camps for you and your horse. Many of them book up quickly so get organised now. Perhaps treat yourself to some schoolmaster lessons to give you a head start this season.

3)      Look into starting up that hobby/career you’ve always wanted, whether its equestrian art or photography, taking your BHS exams, or maybe starting your judge training. There are also home study courses available or why not take the plunge and plan a trip to Germany or Holland and immerse yourself in the horse culture over there. Use the internet, do some research, make a plan and give yourself a deadline. Perhaps get a friend involved too. Get motivated now! Imagine what you could achieve this year if you put your mind to it.

4)      Did you know that just imagining yourself riding and running through the movements in your head can create neural pathways that are just as effective in creating muscle memory as actually performing the action itself? Many top athletes use visualisation to improve performance. So go on,”virtually ride” through those dressage movements. It takes many thousands of repetitions to make something instinctive so you may as well start now, your horse will be grateful for it.

5)      Find all of your unwanted items you could sell. If you photograph them now and prepare adverts, you’ll be ready for the influx of enthusiastic buyers as soon as the sun comes out. Alternatively look into local equine boot fairs, or organise one of your own.

6)      Give all your leather a thorough cleaning and conditioning, you know once you start riding again it will be put off!

7)      Join Horse Hero (www.horsehero.com), a really useful and inspiring website to watch video clips of top riders and trainers in action. Training your eye is one of the fundamental aspects in improving your riding and very few people get to watch top riders on a daily basis. Don't feel bad you aren't able to ride, watching is just as worthwhile. But always watch good riders who you aspire to be like, set your goals high, immerse yourself amongst the best. That is how you learn and constantly raise your game.

8)      Do some stretches! Not riding for even a short time means a drop in fitness and suppleness. Make sure you are riding fit as SOON as you get back in the saddle and don’t waste precious time onboard having to regain fitness.

9)      Get yourself some decent riding books and take time to brush up on your theory, it is definitely worth it. So often we don’t quite understand the goals we are trying to achieve and we could get so much more from our lessons if we did a bit of homework ourselves. There is an extensive reading list on my website.

10)  Think about how you could use your skills wisely this year. It wouldn’t take much extra time to volunteer for the RDA, help out a local riding school or raise some money for an equine charity. Use your passion to make a difference, there are opportunities all around. If you’re more adventurous how about one of the charity rides abroad that the BHS arranges?

Don’t just read all this, go and DO IT! Good luck J