A Memoir of the 2012 Show Season & Beyond

Hello there!

   Paige Webster here, a horse lovin' hard working equestrian! In my 18 years, I have discovered my passion for show jumping and I've only just started to understand the ups and downs of the equestrian sport. This is the story of my horse Maximus and how he taught me that being good isn't always good enough.

  After owning him for six months I figured we were going to win the meter division on the Trillium Circuit. Never brushing a rail, and with scope to spare, this horse and I were unstoppable during our lessons. The warm up round at our first show was amazing, clear and 3rd place overall. Flash to our first division round, and two refusals. We had never had refusals before, and now we had two when it counted most. second round- same thing. The judge signalled us to leave the ring with thanks. I was devastated.

    We thought he was sore so we scratched out of the next class, and the next show altogether. I began riding more defensivley in lessons, leading to more stops. I lost my confidence, going from top of the world to bottom of the ocean in a few short weeks. We let his feet rest up and we treated them for bruising, and we took him off property again. It was as though Maxi had decided the night before that he wasn't having anything to do with showing. He tossed me off in the warm up ring twice, shattering what was left of my esteem. "If she doesn't have the chutzpah she shouldn't be showing him",  some man chirped from the in-gate. Instead of showing I spent the rest of the day fighting tears and negative self-thoughts.

    From then on, Maxi was terrible in the warm up ring at every show. I began answering the question of "How often do you fall?" with, "Every show day".  Looking back, I think it was a combination of my nervous energy and his sensitive personality. One time we decided to go into a hunter class, figuring the calm environment might soothe his mind as well as my own. He was surprisingly good in the warm up ring and we ended up Reserve Champion of the 2'6 open division. Then we won the hunter medal. Maybe hunter was his calling?

    At this point, I wasn't gaining the valuable show miles in the jumper ring that I was craving. My coach offered me the opportunity to ride and show his horse, Sander. They had shown together in the meter fifteens with great success and there is a special place in my coach's heart for this horse. With a busy barn full of students, the gelding wasn't getting the attention he demanded, so it was a win-win situation to have me begin working with him. He would get exercised regularly, I had a horse that could show in the jumpers. I began riding Maxi and Sander, with new skills slowly seeping into my muscle memory.




    I learned about the importance of the outside rein, following the horses mouth at the canter, giving and taking, and finessing my leg to hand ride. Maxi was put on the back burner, displaying even more disobediences at hunter shows. I preferred to not become crippled by this horse so I began showing Sander only. We ended up Reserve Champion in the 0.9m division out of 25 riders at the final Palgrave Summer Classic. I got a pocketful of confidence, and a pretty sweet ball cap too. You can see us in the picture jumping the red oxer.

In the final schooling show of the year, I entered Maxi as my mount for the 2'6-2'9 jumper division. I had a new level of awareness that riding two horses gives you. A better feel of what's happening underneath you. I knew this show was going to be different.

  It wasn't about winning the division, it was about not letting Maxi win. He wasn't going to boss me around and get away with being an idiot in the warm up ring. We went through the entire division and he didn't get me off. He thought about it, he tried, but I was there with my confidence and my new artillery of knowledge and I rode through the rough patches. My heart was soaring higher than ever as I cooled him out after a good day's work.

At one point a year ago, I thought I was the best I could be in the saddle. I had it all figured out and everything was running smoothly. Because of Maxi's demanding and technical way of going, I was forced to look at myself in the mirror and realize that I wasn't as good as I thought. My eyes were opened to an entirely new dimension of riding, one where the aids are so subtle they aren't visible, and how a rider can affect the shape of the horse negatively or positively. I had to accept that I wasn't there yet, and work harder than ever to bridge the gap. That I did, and now I feel like a legitimate horsewomen.

  Since then, I have dived into the horse world riding multiple horses and day and facing higher and higher fences. With my coach and fellow boarder's generosity, I am responsible for flatting and jumping a variety of different horses of different levels. My feel is becoming more refined, and I am becoming pretty quick to understand the various equine evasions and correct them. Looking to seriously explore my potential in the jumper ring, I've decided to take a working student job in Ireland. The barn specializes in training show jumpers for the international market and I will be responsible for 4-6 of the horses. This blog will follow my miles in the saddle and revelations on horses and their training. As a wise horsemen once said : The more you learn about horses, the more you realize how much you still do not know.