As they saying goes - Most people do not need a $35,000 horse, most people need $34,000 in LESSONS and a $1,000 horse.
If you REALLY want to get into this eventing thing, and excel as fast as possible - I would recommend doing THIS:
Go to a big event. Walk the barns - see what trainers are there with a good number of students. Then watch the warm up arenas. Watch how the trainers work with their students. See which ones are riding well, which trainers are excellent teachers.
Watch the event - all phases, as many divisions as possible. Who is successful? Who isn’t? What horses seem relaxed and happy in their job? What riders look confident and happy? Take notes.
Once you have observed, research into the trainers you are interested in. Where are their facilities? Do they have openings for students?
Then I would start riding with the best trainer you can. If they allow it, become a “barn rat” for them. My eventing coach allowed me to arrive at 7:00 and head home at 6:00, 6 days a week. I handled horses, cleaned tack, groomed for the trainer, watched countless lessons - rode in lessons, eventually several a day. As my skills increased, and my willingness to do “hard work” became clear, I was granted with even more horses to ride. Eventually riding around 6 a day, and participating in 3+ lessons each day.
Eventually my green $500 horse and I were competing at prelim level.
Let the trainer help guide you to a suitable horse. And buying tack before the horse is, as the saying goes “putting the cart before the horse”.
You will NOT make it in eventing by throwing money at it. Fancy saddles will not get you around an XC course, and importing a “made” eventer will not matter a lick if you can’t ride it.
As far as “perfect practice makes perfect” - read this post from Denny Emerson. Start following Tamarack Hill Farm on facebook (and BUY HIS BOOK!).
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tamarack-Hill-Farm/109161715946
The Power of “Pretty Good”
There is a dangerous saying. “Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect Practice makes perfect.”
Why “dangerous”? Well, because it`s a good way to drive horses right up the wall and over the edge. As much as that saying may apply in some matters, emotionally fragile horses are at great risk in the hands of perfectionists.
Take this scenario as an example—
You are practicing trotting down the center line and halting at X. Each time theres a flaw, a little too late in the halt, perhaps, not quite square, whatever. Its “pretty good” but it`s not perfect.
You are a perfectionist, so pretty good isnt good enough for you. So you keep drilling, and the horse starts to get more nervous, so now you REALLY keep drilling, and before you know it, its World War 3.
Learning to be content with “pretty good” takes work from those people about whom we say “She will not be pleased.” But its an attitude thats a great asset to a horse trainer.
Stack up days and days of pretty good, and they often turn into pretty darn good indeed. But let drilling become grinding for perfection, and God forbid you should be that rider`s horse.
Younger riders, highly driven competitive riders, those with anger issues----this is where we are most apt to see lack of acceptance of “pretty good” on a daily basis.
