This is an article that I wrote and shared on social medias two years ago, and I wanted to re post here because it means a lot to me. I wanted to honor my oldest job that I did for many years with all my heart. This is an opinion from inside a job that not so many persons has the chance to know.
“Just” a flat rider
During my 12 years of career I have heard "she/he is JUST a flat rider" too many times. And now and then I still hear it. It doesn’t come specially from a bad intentions, or denigration, but it come to make a point, as our job is not too important. Or we are not good enough so it’s the easy job to keep riding. Well let me start by I am « JUST » proud.
Yes I am agree that the last 10 years the Flat rider job had a big evolution as the show jumping itself take an other lever of intensity. Before, maybe the flat rider was here to help take the horses out, ride sometime the head ones, as the rider wasn’t out off the stable to show 5* every weekend. The flat rider was mainelly here to build the Youngs horses. A top rider had weeks between two big show and had time to ride himself, train and make his horses the way he wants them.
But let me tell you something, this time is revolve, the top riders now are gone all year long, come in and out of the stable less than 3 days a weeks.They do their best but they JUST can not be at 2 places in the same time. In those 2/3 days they have to train clients, jump the horses who are leaving to the next show, go try horses hours away from home and so more.
This is our reality now, and I'm sad that the public as no chance to see that part of behind of the scene.
« It take a village » once was said, well it’s JUST more than true.
I’m speaking out not because I was hurt by those saying, (I’ve always been proud of what I was) but more because I want a majority of our community to understand whats is like to be a flat rider for a top rider. And wish that you will see the actual value of the job.
You give your life for the sport, you give all your time, all your patience , all your thinking , all your energy for that one minute of effort.
It’s not JUST riding around to make your horse stretch his legs, or at least not anymore, you are in charge of the daily training, of the maintenance of your horse’s shape, building cardio, re building a full horse after injuries, fixing small problems that come in the ring (opening stride, coming back soon enough, short turn on a propulsion, elasticity... ), keep them happy, and dealing with you own feelings. Because at the end of the day your groom and you are the ones who know better your little babies.
I am talking about hours and hours watching videos, thinking, listening, trying to figure out what exercices could do them better, what kind of training we can ad, change or try, what kind of bit we can switch to...to hope to reach the next step. While in the main time you are trying to improve yourself too.
On top of that you have to understand how your rider rides, analyze him in the ring with each horse to be able to make any details better for the next show. You have to ride not the way you like but the way your rider likes, you have to make your horses the way it fit your rider’s style the most.
Fact is that when your rider come back on Mondays your horses have to be ready to go. You’re job is to make your rider’s busy life easier, by that I mean you have to become a complimentary duo, where trust is the key!
You are always the one in between all the informations, what’s your rider feels in the ring, what’s your groom notice that day, what’s your vet tell you to do, what you are feeling .... And your JUST job is to do your best with all of this to make everything works all together for the best of your horse.
I almost forgot one little thing, you are JUST responsible of the health of your horses. I mean it’s not a big deal knowing the value of those 4 legs athletes, the big deadlines, the sponsors and the all team behind it...
Guess what , flat work actually fixe 80% of what happen in the ring! . Now do you think that those top riders have the time to do all that when they are away every week and they have two or tree strings of horses? Well yes they can but they need help because some of those aren’t possible in 2 days.
If you are thinking that it’s JUST easy to do, well you are JUST out of reality.
Then come the end of week when you take your JUST job to the next level of anxiety wishing that all the work you have done will pay off. And start again, and again and again because Ya I forgot to mention that our job include animals, not machines.
Never take a horse’s progress for granted. Every day has his little battle to fight because it’s hard to keep a fixed plan with animal where everything can go wrong in a split of a second. You will have to deal with unexpected all the time, keep it calm and head cold, and JUST do your best. Give your heart out every time because horses always give back way more than you do.
At the end of the day you are not riding for you, you are not riding for your boss you are JUST doing it for the love that you have for your horses and for the sport.
So here I am to JUST tell you how beautiful, rewarding, educating, powerful, incredible, hard, and full of emotions that JUST job can be.
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