The following article was written by Leslie Cline, about the story of her horse Blackie (Genesis) and his training period at Williams Dressage- Richard Williams
"The title of this article could include a trendy idiom like “when good horses do bad things” or “dressage horse gone wild” but that may minimize the frustration that we felt when my Grand-Prix trained dressage horse decided that he had had enough of dancing with me only a handful of months after his purchase.
I was not in the market for a new horse when my husband, David, bought “Blackie” for me. We had spent the past four years riding the roller coaster of Cushings Disease and its related laminitis rather than our lovely FEI horse El Chico. After the fourth and what I had decided to be the last founder, we said our goodbyes and prayed Chico would go to a place where his body would no longer be his limiting factor. Not too soon after that event, it was my husband who fell for the smile that riding Blackie brought to my face and purchased the talented gelding for me. And God Bless him for it! Little did we know this purchase would bring us the quintessential lesson in true horsemanship?
As both a trainer and a student I have believed that the best way to learn dressage is to ride a horse who knew dressage. Over the past fifteen years we have been very deliberate in purchasing trained horses that could help me further my experience. Simultaneously, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work students’ horses and project horses of my own to fine tune and confirm what my horse masters were teaching me. Blackie was purchased as the ultimate master: he sported beautiful piaffe and a passage that would take one’s breath away. And he did this with the exuberance of an athlete who knew he would take center stage with each performance.
What I didn’t know was that emotionally and mentally he was on the edge of burnout - and when pushed close to the precipice by my primitive aids he exploded. We could go from walk to rear in a nano-second; from behind the aids to the emergency room in 20 seconds flat. My trainers were not sure how to help me ride through this, and we were working with some high profile, very knowledgeable and experienced trainers. At every turn Blackie’s actions consistently told us he was through with dressage.
So what was next? Blackie’s re-schooling time with his former trainer was coming to an end, and David and I felt like we were running out of options. He had no trust in me or my system, and I was tired of his rearing and bucking. But that aspect of the situation was the least of my worries. In my mind, I was the proud owner of a beautiful and athletic Grand Prix horse with world class gaits that I had reduced to a pasture ornament in just a short time. My confidence was destroyed. He was not ready to be a schoolmaster, and I was not the rider he felt he deserved. Where was the bridge that would help Blackie and me meet each other half way?
Literally that bridge went from Norfolk, Virginia to the Delmarva Peninsula. We drove over that bridge to my friend Richard’s training farm at Hillcrest. We turned Blackie out in his pasture where he promptly breathed a huge sigh of relief. It was obvious to him that here at Richard and Frannie’s he could finally be what he was meant to be – just a horse. He would be on 24/7 turnout with a run-in entrance to his stall– something that I imagine given his training in Holland and Germany, he hadn’t had since he was a baby. Gone were the bubble wrap, the fancy equipment, and the pressured expectations. Our journey was to start “back” at the basics. We were to figuratively “peel the onion” and then put it all back together. And that we did.
Through Richard’s and Frannie’s program of varied work and play Blackie learned to trust again. Richard literally re-started Blackie from the ground up making sure that each element of the training scale was thoroughly in place. In the Williams’ thoughtful and progressive program, Blackie learned to breathe during those movements that had caused him angst. He saw that Grand Prix work wasn’t a time for stress but a time for play. He learned to be more tolerant of the rider’s movements. But it wasn’t enough for Richard to “decipher” the aids that spoke to Blackie and help him relax in them – he had to translate these to me. And that he did! Countless hours of study were followed by even more hours in the saddle refining my equitation and my own aiding systems. Richard’s instruction confirmed to me the teachings of our mentors and the modern day classical masters. To me, it felt good to be “home”.
I started my article with some current idioms and I am going to sum up with a variation on another popular catch phrase - we hear a lot today about ‘horse whisperers’. This school has made mainstream the age-old classical system of training through light, consistent, cause and effect aiding and communication. Richard took this classical system one step further - As true horsemen, he believes we are also to be “horse listeners”. Each horse and his needs are as individual as you and I. The challenge is to listen to and to train these individuals in the classical system that allows for and respects their individuality. Isn’t the purpose of dressage to make even more beautiful under saddle those athletic movements a horse does naturally? The horse already knows how to be himself; what makes this sport into art is to train in a way that allows for the horse’s individual expression. What makes trainers into artists is the ability to perpetuate this from horse to horse and from trainer to rider. Thank you Richard for sharing your knowledge and skills with Blackie and me.
What was Blackie trying to tell us? He communicated in the only way he knew– through tension and rebellion. I have yet to have a horse come through my stable who didn’t own some well worn baggage. However, Blackie and I were able to return home carrying instead some brand new Luis Vuitton.
From our experience at Richard and Frannie’s, Blackie and I now have a foundation of knowledge and training on which to meet each other half way – common ground where he is more forgiving of those days my aids are clumsy and unsophisticated and where I appreciate his need for both perfection and play. We went on the following year to earn the final scores for my USDF Silver Medal. But that wasn’t the gift – the best part was just being able to ride my horse – the horse we bought – my ultimate School Master."
by Leslie Cline, USDF Silver Medalist
As a follow-up, Leslie and Blackie were in training for 7 months after which we called Leslie to come and get her horse as he was on the right track. Re-uniting horse and rider is what we love to do. Helping each rider understand the peculiarities of their unique horse and the implicit requirements of a successful relationship for advancement through the levels is our goal.- Richard Williams
