Are You a 3-D Rider™?

At MM Training and Consulting, we strive to teach on three different levels (horse sense, equitation, and training). This teaching style is by no accident. Through my experience and observations, many riders are not well rounded in their horsemanship skills. For example some are very pretty riders but lack training skills and horse sense. Others are great trainers but lack proper equitation abilities. These observations are not meant to be condescending or come from the intent to hurt but are made with the intent to learn. And what I have learned is that it takes all three dimensions to be the best horseman we can be.

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2006 3-D Rider Ah Ha Moments

Our team would like to congratulate the participants on their outstanding and engaged participation in the 2006 3-D Rider clinics. Following is a recap of the ah ha moments from the clinics.

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Getting an Education

At our last 3-D mini series, I observed people who believe that learning to ride well is an educational process. We had participants ranging from beginners to accomplished show riders. Some folks were more athletic than others or had horses that were further along in their training. Yet, the playing field was leveled by everybody’s desire to improve their skills and take home new knowledge.It’s pretty clear that people who have a passion to become good horsemen continually seek educational opportunities to improve their riding skills. While it may be time consuming and expensive, they repeatedly invest in lessons, gear and the vehicles necessary to get them around. While some of these people may not have the best build for riding or a well trained horse, they are persistent in their efforts to advance beyond the basic skill of staying on. Even if it’s a gamble for them to take their horses somewhere new and receive training from an unfamiliar instructor, they do it anyway because their drive to learn outweighs their fear.

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Finding Success Through Frustration

Our clinics may be different from other clinics that you have experienced. Because our focus is on developing your horsemanship on three different levels (3-D Rider™) – ground training, equitation, and training under saddle – you probably experience more stress at our clinics than you do at others. We believe that you need to stress yourself on all levels – physical, mental and emotional – in order to experience the deepest growth as a person or as a horseman. We hope the stress you experience at a clinic transfers to your growth in all realms.All horse trainers feel frustration at one time or another. When you are working with another mind, as we are when we’re working with a horse, we have to be aware that frustration will happen. The horse has its own agenda and also feels its own sense of frustration when it can’t understand us. We don’t want to prevent frustration because frustration handled properly promotes growth. So how do we positively handle our frustration and our horse’s frustration?

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3-D Clinic 3 Recap: Training Under Saddle

Our team would like to congratulate the participants on their outstanding and engaged participation in the third of our 3-D mini series, Training Under Saddle. Following is a recap of the content of the Training Under Saddle clinic.

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