"Bye-bye winter blues - Hello Motivation" - and "do you want the heat on?"

Wehorse.online held the free "Festival 21" online yesterday. I caught Christoph Hess' presentation "Bye-bye Winter Blues - Hello Motivation". I mean, with a title like that, how can you not watch this??

I definitely suffer from the winter blues, especially after having experienced training in Florida in the last two years. But I'm motivated to make the best out of it in Michigan!

Christoph Hess is an expert in dressage, he worked 40 years for the German FN (Equestrian Federation), and was the head of Education and Training. 

So here are some of the highlights of his presentation:

- Success is made in the winter

- With a clear goal before you and a well thought out plan, you motivate yourself

- Develop a long-term goal

- Create weekly schedule that leads you in small steps to your long term goal

    - Pay systematically into your goal

    - Provide variation for horse and rider

    - Consider mental and physical aspects 

    - Balance training with an alternate program

    - Check up on your training progress

    - Keep a diary/workbook for daily notes

- It's important to have a riding instructor, or better coach, as a coach usually is more than a riding instructor (trainer)

- The rider needs to discuss plans and progress with coach

- If possible, ride outside of the arena as much as possible

Use the winter training to:

- Learn how to swing with the horse

- Ride independently from your hands

- "It's a feeling sport", use the time to "Get a feeling for Feeling"

- Focus on Durchlaessigkeit (so much more than the English translation Throughness)

- Use that time to learn good flying changes, so you are ready for the season. It takes at least a quarter of a season to get good at changes. 

Here is a sample training plan that Christoph Hess' discussed:

I can't say that I won't get the blues this winter, but so far, so good. The winter hasn't been harsh yet, the worst is yet to come. It usually hits us end of January, and goes through February and March. Better come up with my plan now!

It will help to be able to work the boys in good conditions. This morning we took them to Berwyck. The footing in the arena is always in great shape, the arena is very bright, and the temps were in the high 20sF, so for us actually pretty decent (anything below 20F and my enthusiasm wanes considerably). Imagine our surprise when a woman walked in and asked "Do you guys have something against putting the heat on?" Yes, the arena is heated by big overhead pipes, and the heat is included in the arena fee we pay, but we try to be frugal. On second thought: Bring it on!