[QUOTE=Lucassb;7106206]
I suspect that there are very, very few people who would argue that having more and better training for amateurs in the US would be a good thing 
But I completely agree with you that someone (CH) who takes peoples’ money and then complains so bitterly about what a waste of her time it is to teach them is not only ridiculous and insulting, but frankly not all that bright. As you say, no wonder she has no sponsors.
I mean, really… if the message CHS wanted to send was simply, “we need more and better trainers in this country,” then obviously that sentiment would be far better expressed in a much more sympathetic way. For instance, she could have written, “My heart goes out to so many of the riders who come to my clinics missing the basics. It’s such a shame that their trainers have not been able to offer them more effective instruction so that they could do x, y and z. It seems to me that we need to figure out a way to help those professionals better acquire the skills they need to teach their good amateur clients to (put their horses on the bit, execute a decent 20 m circle, fill in desired skill here.) Here is what I suggest…”
Note that an author can discuss such a problem without ever denigrating all those CUSTOMERS who have paid for training help in the past! And it can be done in a humble and constructive way, without any need for self aggrandizement.
But no; clearly that wasn’t the message CHS sent when she wrote her article, packed as it was with protestations of how accomplished she is and what a waste of her precious time and talent it is to teach people below “an advanced level.”
Fortunately for all concerned, though, I think this is much less likely to be a problem in her future, LOL.
But - and I think this is really important - this woman’s rant should NOT be allowed to create fear or embarrassment among amateurs who want to further their skills in clinic environments (with other, better professionals, BNTs or not.) Comments like:
are just plain sad, and not likely to help our sport one little bit.
Dragon, let me tell you - the great, great majority of clinicians I have met over my last 3+ decades of riding are universally thrilled to have dedicated, passionate students show up for instruction at the clinics they offer. There is NO NEED to feel that you would be wasting anyone’s time if you show up prepared to be a good student and to give it your best. That is the entire POINT of clinics, after all!
As an example, when I did a clinic with WAZ - certainly a BNT - as a beginning dressage rider not that long ago, I was by far the least accomplished rider of the day. Hell, I didn’t reliably remember where the damn letters were at that point. WAZ started off by saying, “what a lovely horse. What do you do with him?”
I replied, truthfully, that he was a meter thirty horse… to much snickering from the gallery. WAZ paused a moment, smiled broadly, and said, “I jumped all my dressage horses, many of them to grand prix level. Every horse should jump; it is very good for them!” And I had a fabulous lesson.
So go, if you get a chance, and ride with a BNT if you want to. Show up with your horse gleaming, prepared to ride the best you are capable of, with an open mind and specific goals you hope to work on. And have a blast.[/QUOTE]
Maybe you should approach her with an offer to be her publicist…you are much more inspiring than what we got to read in her blog! :yes:
