Quite simply, our training ethos is born of experience...

 

Ask any successful athlete what their recipe for success is and they will say 'discipline'. I ask my riders to be disciplined in their approach to riding, training and development and I will reciprocate.   Years of riding with leading professional coaches taught me that there are 'trainers' and there are TRAINERS. A good trainer never walks into a ring and asks "what were we doing last week", they already know. A good trainer doesn't just use the jumps that happen to be set up, they customize the exercises to you. A good trainer doesn't just say "see you next week", they talk through the lesson you just had, set goals for your practice sessions and 'homework' for next week/next time. A good trainer is watching your horse and their reactions very closely, adjusting the lesson to suit their frame of mind at that moment. In short, a good trainer has a program and is working to a goal oriented plan; just like you are.

 

That's not to say that riding shouldn't be enjoyable, but I have found that truly dedicted riders get more enjoyment out of achieving their goals and feeling themselves and their equine partners progress than from anything else.