I get it, we are all competitive, we are all trying to do our best, many of us want to BE the best and that involves being better thank everyone else right? I want you to take a minute and really ask yourself what does being better than everyone else actually look like? Does it mean you win every class you enter, or does it mean that you are the best horseman/woman on the circuit, does it mean you have the best gear/ truck/ horses/ whatever, what does being the best actually mean!? Does being the best mean that you will do anything to get there, or do you value other aspects of life and sport over beating everyone else?
It is really important to be able to take a step back from this and really assess what it is that you want to get out of your life, including horses. Are you going to be satisfied at 80 years old to say that you won every ribbon you could, or is there more to life than that?
I have noticed through the years that often people become so fixated on being competitive that they forget the important things. We have probably all been there at some point! We all share a common interest in horses, we are people who should be united by this but I am seeing the opposite a lot of the time. This is a tough sport and it is so great when we can all support each other to be the best versions of ourselves. I figure its nice to offer support to others as they will get there with or without my support anyway and being there for someone else not only boosts their morale but it will boost your own as well. We all need to do our bit to make the sport better for each and every one of us.
Dressage in the grand scheme of things is really quite trivial, we aren't brain surgeons, we aren't saving lives, or changing the face of humanity. We are simply riding and hopefully enjoying our horses. Why not make it more enjoyable for everyone by being friendly and supportive of one another? Let’s collectively make the sport a better place! Don't get sucked into negativity, we can all do our bit, no person is too small and no effort is unnoticed. It's never too late or too early to start trying to be a positive influence for others! There is no limit on how many of us can achieve our dreams, and it doesn't need to come at the expense of anyone else either.
I just ride horses because I absolutely love it, whats important for you?
