Catherine Haddad's latest editorial

[Crockpot]

yes, some BNTs of even greater accomplishments than CH have straight out said they will work with anyone and we’ve seen that in local clinics where there are not many FEI riders. It is as much an education for the auditors as for the riders so perhaps that is why they are happy to do it?

She makes good points but , again, she could solve her’problem’ by just being clear enough with the organizers of her clinics to guide them in the selection process. Sometimes clinicians even want to see the video applications. She could save herself some angst by doing that.

[meupatdoes]

[QUOTE=TickleFight;7102391]
They can learn how to be better lower level trainers. They can audit their student’s session.[/QUOTE]

Except for the fact where CHS specifically states she has no further interest in teaching clinics where

The general pattern goes like this: The trainer wants my input. So he/she hires me to teach for a full day even though the trainer rides only once, maybe twice on a somewhat advanced horse, and then watches eight to nine students from rank beginner to talented amateur learn some basics from me at a much lower level.
…
But this does not honor me, nor is my skill respected.

How are you supposed to audit your lower level student’s session if CHS wants you to weed all the lower level students out and “respect her skill”? Now she is willing to come do more clinics but only to a couple of trainers who are each on multiple advanced horses.

Auditing a lower level student’s session in order to learn how to be a better trainer to lower level students is EXACTLY what CHS is bitching about.

[kelo]

What I want to know is WHO IS RITA?

She starts all her columns with “Dear Rita” and then refers to Rita in the text and I feel like I’m missing an important piece of information. :o

[staceyk]

“So, my trainers, don’t wear me out teaching someone how to hold the reins.”

Well. That statement would be understandable if she were not charging for the training. It is when all is said and done, a J-O-B. While a job can be fun, it still is a job. And if someone is willing to pay you a lot of money to show them the basics, berating them is a little mean-spirited, I think.

Years ago I questioned a clinician about the value of signing up for a clinic with her, as I was “Just training level.” She responded with great enthusiasm and told me that this is the most important level, the foundation for everything else. I loved this answer, and I had a great, inspiring lesson with her.

If Haddad finds less accomplished riders tiresome, she could always specify pre-requisites for her clinics. Not everyone has the temperament or motivation to work with the less accomplished, and it’s her prerogative. There are plenty of top level clinicians who will, and I’d rather pay them to help me than someone who states publicly that it’s beneath her to do so.

Amateurs, and specifically lower level amateurs are pretty much the foundation of the sport. And we don’t get no respect, it seems…

[meupatdoes]

@staceyk;7102410

If Haddad finds less accomplished riders tiresome, she could always specify pre-requisites for her clinics. Not everyone has the temperament or motivation to work with the less accomplished, and it’s her prerogative. There are plenty of top level clinicians who will, and I’d rather pay them to help me than someone who states publicly that it’s beneath her to do so.

This is fine with me too if that is how she wants to be (although I will find her clinics less useful to attend because as a trainer I would like to ride, sure, but I would also like to watch the lower levels get taught since that is what my students do)…

but then don’t ALSO complain that no one knows how to teach lower level students correctly, when you yourself REFUSE to demonstrate how to teach lower level students correctly.

Can’t they just make visible improvements in their students in one session like I can? It is beneath me to demonstrate!

Blah di blah di blaaaaaah.

[wcporter]

[QUOTE=meupatdoes;7102378]
“Rita” = “reader”

…get it?

So witty.
:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Seriously?

I think my eyes just rolled out of my head and fell on the floor.

[not_again]

To all those who feel she is dissing the riders… perhaps you could question your trainer. Maybe you could require that your trainer teach you how to hold the reins correctly before said trainer bamboozles you into signing up for a clinic and listing your “level” as higher than it really is.

[NOMIOMI1]

I dunno, I read it more as ‘Why aren’t there more trainers in America who want to clinic and further their education?’

But coth, being coth, of course this is an attack on the ammy division.

I think its pretty clear that the only reason a person shows up to her clinic without holding the reins correctly are ones who have not been asked to by their own trainer… It trickles down but why pretend this is a detour around the trainers directly to the intro riders?

People have to stand up to TAKE offense in this situation, look for it I suppose.

She is clearly stating trainers need training, so that intro riders don’t need clinics. Its a reasonable thing to say…

[meupatdoes]

[QUOTE=not again;7102420]
To all those who feel she is dissing the riders… perhaps you could question your trainer. Maybe you could require that your trainer teach you how to hold the reins correctly before said trainer bamboozles you into signing up for a clinic and listing your “level” as higher than it really is.[/QUOTE]

But I literally had the following conversation with a TL student:

Me: “Hey, do you want to come with me to the [BNT] clinic?”
Student: “Will he teach someone who is at my low level?”
Me: “Yes, in the last session he taught students who weren’t even as far along as you, and he did a great job. It was also very useful to me to watch to see how he taught them, and I would be interested in seeing how he teaches you so that I can learn from it as well.”

So I signed on to COTH today to realize that apparently, what I am encouraging my students to do really pisses off clinicians, and apparently I am “bamboozling” my students into signing up for a clinic and deceiving them about what level they actually ride.

Perhaps it is possible that rather than running some devious time wasting, deceptive, bamboozling schemes, both my student and her trainer know they have things to learn, in terms of their riding and their teaching, respectively, AND THIS IS WHY THEY SIGN UP TO LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS.

[Eclectic_Horseman]

[QUOTE=NOMIOMI1;7102429]
I dunno, I read it more as ‘Why aren’t there more trainers in America who want to clinic and further their education?’[/QUOTE]

That’s a no brainer. Because they aren’t independently wealthy?

[Kyzteke]

[QUOTE=Forte;7102216]
So ammies and lower level riders are not willing to learn the basic and sweat??[/QUOTE]

Her point is that your (local) pro should be capable of teaching you the basics…and AFTER you know those, you can go on to more advanced stuff. And if you haven’t gotten them in several years (and I’ve seen PLENTY who have not…), then chances are CH isn’t going to suddenly change that.

So why waste her time?

That’s why she keeps saying, “train the trainers…”

If you were Einstein, how much would you enjoy teaching kids (over and over and over again) how to do simple adding & subtraction? Or Picasso teaching 4th graders the color spectrum?

I always felt that you earned the right to study under the top flight folk. That meant you reached a certain level of skill and understanding. And, just like a university professor who does not and never wanted to teach 1st grade, CH would prefer to work with riders who are more on her level.

Nothing wrong with that.

Ego – what ego? She has won her stripes and then some and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with being proud of her accomplishments. For that matter, if you wanted to clinic with some of our other International pros, you would have to probably submit a video. So I find it rather open that CH doesn’t not require that.

If you are not yet skilled – AUDIT! Chances are you won’t really understand much of what she is telling the upper level guys, but eventually (hopefully) you will.

I find her view honest, forthright, and well within her right as a teacher to be pickier. A fine example of money not being the deciding factor, but ability. Good for her.

So you want to school with her? Go out and work your hinny off till you have earned the right. Or go elsewhere…always, your choice.

[Crockpot]

I think once again CH has shot herself in the foot with her arrogance by making those comments about a trainer and her students from a recent clinic who will surely recognize themselves?

There has always been a lot of whining. Now she has moved back to the US and is publicly dissing the very people -probably her biggest fans- who might have hired her to come back for more clinics.

This is bread and butter.

There are plenty of other excellent quality BNTS who will work with all levels which is often necessary to fill clinics.

If she can afford to be choosy, then be choosy but communicate that beforehand and then you won’[t need to whine about it.

[suzy]

[QUOTE=staceyk;7102410]

If Haddad finds less accomplished riders tiresome, she could always specify pre-requisites for her clinics. Not everyone has the temperament or motivation to work with the less accomplished, and it’s her prerogative. There are plenty of top level clinicians who will, and I’d rather pay them to help me than someone who states publicly that it’s beneath her to do so.[/QUOTE]
This is what you have inferred from her blog, not what she is saying. Kyzteke really hit the nail on the head with her post.

Meanwhile, there is no shortage of BNT in the U.S. who will teach every level, so just go and ride with them instead of dissing CHS for her wanting to teach the teachers. That is probably her forte and is badly needed in this country.

[Alinera2]

As an AA who was fortunate enough to have ridden with Catherine at a clinic in the past, it should be pointed out that she was one of the most approachable, down-to-earth, willing to really get in there & help folks around. She had no air of ego or pretense, she was really super and helped my horse & I a lot. I got a ton of good information & valuable help from her at that clinic and would ride with her again without hesitation, even if I needed to submit an application or a video or whatever. She was worth it.

[Crockpot]

There is no shortage of BNT in the U.S. who will teach every level, so just go and ride with them instead of dissing CHS for her wanting to teach the teachers.

I don’t think any one is dissing her for that. They are commenting because obviously she did not communicate beforehand the level of rider she wanted to teach .

Clinicians have to be clear about this BEFORE the riders are selected. It’s not really a difficult concept.

I mean she says she was too busy to be involved in selection process. All she had to say was “FEI riders only” That should cover it without taking too much of her valuable time. In fact, she’d likely save time since she would not have to write her ranty blog. haha

maybe in Germany there were dozens of FEI riders lining up to clinic with her? Or maybe not.

[suzy]

[QUOTE=eponacelt;7102394]
Haven’t you ever had the experience of having a new person explain the same thing to you a slightly different way and it finally clicked? That is one of the reasons people clinic. BNTs often can explain things in a way our regular coaches can’t, and that can make all the difference.

The Ivy League college example doesn’t hold up, by the way. Those schools are very clear about their standards. Catherine, by her own admission, is not. So as I originally said, if she only wants to teach upper level riders, then that is her perogative. But she shouldn’t complain about not getting the caliber of rider she wants in a very public way, if she didn’t specify what she was willing to teach.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I have definitely had light bulb moments from hearing another trainer say the same thing but with different verbiage than my regular trainer so that it finally sank in. Or, in some cases, the clinician has used the same wording as my trainer but finally the timing was right, and I could put into practice what I understood theoretically. If I had been having a lesson with my regular trainer on that same day, it’s highly likely I would have “gotten” it. Timing matters a lot when it comes to training.

As I said in another post, there are enough BNTs willing to teach less advanced riders in clinics, so I’m not sure what the point is of criticizing CHS for stating that she’d prefer to train the trainers. I appreciate her honesty. I do agree with you that she needs to take the initiative when hired to give clinics to clearly state who she will/won’t teach, but otherwise, I think her blog is fair.

If it was possible to ride with CHS, I would write to her explaining my background, enclose a video, and ask if I should make the trip to NJ. And, if she said “No,” I would be grateful to her for not having me spend a lot of money that might be better spent improving my skills with my current trainer until I’m really ready to benefit from someone of her calibre.

[TickleFight]

[QUOTE=Alinera2;7102479]
As an AA who was fortunate enough to have ridden with Catherine at a clinic in the past, it should be pointed out that she was one of the most approachable, down-to-earth, willing to really get in there & help folks around. She had no air of ego or pretense, she was really super and helped my horse & I a lot. I got a ton of good information & valuable help from her at that clinic and would ride with her again without hesitation, even if I needed to submit an application or a video or whatever. She was worth it.[/QUOTE]

Based on my experience riding in clinics with CHS, she is very open to non-warmbloods as well. She really seems to enjoy helping anybody who is willing to work hard and be a good student.

[meupatdoes]

I think it’s really great that CHS can show us all how to maintain an open, friendly face while actually in the presence of the people who are handing you money hand over fist. This is actually an important skill for trainers to learn, to just smile and nod, blow some sunshine, and take the money.

The blog has just let us in to what thoughts are running through her head behind the smile.

Here’s hoping you guys were the “occasional advanced pair” she gets that can work on the basics in piaffe, passage or pirouettes, so that the rest of the blog, how she REALLY feels about helping “anyone who wants to learn,” doesn’t apply to you.

[suzy]

meup, from having read a number of your posts, you invariably read the worst into people which is sad for you and unfair to the other person.

Based on Alinera’s post, CHS really gave her a great lesson for her money. There is nowhere in CHS’s blog that she says she doesn’t like teaching these people; she’s making the point that it’s not the best use of their money or her time.

[Dramapony_misty]

Question…if George Morris wrote this article instead (only maybe talking about people who can’t post and haven’t properly jumped over anything bigger than and 18" cross-rail)…would y’all be throwing a fit and getting a your panties in a twist?

I don’t see her having any issues with teaching trainers or riders who have a firm grasp of the basics (i.e. proper contact, sitting the trot…those are all things we should have down by what…1st level/2nd level at the highest?) I’m at Intro and trying to move up into Training (though I’ve been riding a long time, I’m fairly new to dressage). I KNOW that riding in a clinic with someone at that level would not benefit me nearly as much as using that money for more lessons (even going to a clinic with another experienced local trainer if I want another pair of eyes working with us). Only once I feel comfortable and confident in my ability to keep my horse on the bit, would I consider riding in a clinic setting with a BNT.

However, my trainer and I are going to be auditing a clinic/symposium with her on Monday and I’m wicked excited!