News: Articles: The True Amateur Horse and Rider

An Amateur Point of View

A Team : The True Amateur Horse and Rider
by Russ Vento

As some of you know, I’ve been sidelined with a back injury for 18 months, and doctors had said that it would be the rest of this year before I could get back in the saddle. I’m happy to report that new treatments have shortened that prospect; I showed for the first time at Del Mar, at Region 1. I’d had only two weeks’ practice and was on a new horse, and I was scared to death. I wasn’t afraid of the horse or the horse show—it was a fear of getting hurt again. I got over it (more on that later), but in some ways it was like showing for the first time. The whole experience led me to take another look at myself, the other amateurs at the show, and the horses we ride. It is easy enough to define amateur riders; we have rules and divisions for that. But what makes a true amateur horse? How do we create a successful amateur team of horse and rider?

The Amateur Horse

A real amateur horse is one who covers the ground, but stays in control no matter what division it is in. It looks happy and soft, and that means whether it is an English horse, a hunter, in western—anything. An amateur horse looks effortless, and the performance looks like the amateur is doing it effortlessly.

In the amateur division, we tend to think that it is all about the rider. In reality, for just about all successful amateur riders, the key is knowing what horse and what style suits them best. If you need a horse that’s up in your hands, that’s what you should buy; you don’t need to buy one that is extremely light or one that pulls too much. You like English? Don’t buy a western horse. Go for what suits your personality, what suits your needs.

For amateur classes, manners are paramount. We differentiate between a ladies’ horse, a man’s horse or a kid’s horse, but they are all amateur mounts. Some are more aggressive and belong with an aggressive rider, but that doesn’t mean that they are not amateur horses, as long as they meet the specifications for the class. In the youth division, we often hear detractors complain about some of the walk-trot horses, “That one’s got too much motion! It’s too much horse! It’s not a kid’s horse!” In my opinion, if it walks and trots and is in control, then it is a walk-trot horse. On the other hand, if it is grabbing and pulling the kid out of the saddle; or in western, if the child is having to check it all the time; or in hunter, having to tap it down, then that horse is not suitable as a walk-trot horse. It all goes back to manners.

In fact, a lot of our success with youth riders here at the farm has come with kids riding open horses, but those horses have been trained to have amateur manners. They look entirely different with a trainer riding—depending on whether the trainer or the amateur is up, you will see two different horses.

The message here is that to create a good amateur team, you have to find not only the right horse, but the right trainer. Whether the job is adapting an open horse to fit your level of ability, or simply refining an experienced amateur horse to fit your style of riding, your trainer is critical. He (or she) is not just calibrating the motion your horse has. He is really seeing and helping you put together a whole picture.

In deciding what you want to buy, it is wise to consider not only your division and your ability, but also how you will look on the horse. If you are tall, you don’t want a small horse. Maybe a Half Arabian will suit you better in any division, whether English, western or hunter. In general, a Half Arabian is a broader, stronger, more substantial horse that will suit a bigger, taller, heavier person. If you’re a small man or woman, you might get away with riding a more feminine horse, a smaller, purebred horse. I’m not saying that all purebreds are small—there are different ones. But you don’t want to put a 5-foot, 2-inch, 110-lb. girl on a 15.3-hand horse. The horse overpowers the rider, distorting the picture that is one factor in a successful amateur team.

Bottom line, once the picture is in place, a great amateur horse is one who does its job (and I hate to say it, but some of them can do it very successfully without the riders). A great horse can make an average rider a great rider, just as a great amateur can make an average horse a great one.

Adapting An Open Horse

Where you find the ultimate amateur horse? As mentioned, you can buy them already made, or ready to go amateur and have your trainer gear it to you. A third alternative is that you can start even earlier in a horse’s career and wait for it to become ready for you. In that case, your trainer may ride it when it is young. But everything should be done with a goal: The horse is going to do junior horse, then open, then it’s going to do amateur. Many amateurs don’t have the patience, so sometimes we have junior horses doing amateur classes. That is a tribute to the horse and to the trainer. To do this successfully, it is helpful if the horse’s pedigree indicates that it is suited to an accelerated training schedule. If you have a hot horse whose ancestors were known to require a great deal of training, it is fair to assume that your horse will too. The chances are that it is not going to be an amateur horse at 4 or 5 years old; it will probably be ready when it is 7 or 8. Those are things to take into consideration when purchasing a horse with no prior amateur experience.

It is comforting to note that in our industry right now, we have very few horses who are slated solely for open. The majority are going to be amateur horses one day because we amateurs are the ones with the money.

The Successful Amateur Rider

Whether we’re a trainer or an amateur, promotion is a huge part of our business in letting people know where we are and what we’re doing. But if you don’t have the talent and if you can’t sell it, no one’s going to buy it. It’s not just selling it in a magazine, it’s selling it in the show ring.

  As an amateur, the most important weapon you have in your arsenal is hard work. It is so important as an amateur to be devoted to it. I read something the other day saying that amateurs promoting themselves for the national level will get their picture taken with some famous horse to give them a higher profile. My opinion of that is bull! A true amateur is working hard, is out there every day doing something with horses. If he has a trainer, he is there whenever scheduled. If he is his own trainer, he is in the barn every day and asking others for help whenever there is a question. I work hard; I work my own horses every day, and when I have a problem, that horse goes in training or I get a lesson, and that problem gets fixed. I want to be hands on. I want to know what that horse is going to do before it does it. 

I have a great friend who everybody thinks, “Oh my god, you put her on a horse and she wins.” Well, oh my God, you put her on a horse and she does win—but I’m telling you, this girl videos every lesson, she videos every ride, and she practices. She doesn’t practice on lesson horses; she practices on her horse, and she is the most critical of all about her abilities. That’s what makes her a success. She also knows the right horse for her, and she does not go into the ring on a horse who isn’t an amateur horse. If it’s not going to walk, or be steady at its gaits, or cover ground, she moves on to the next horse, or she gives that one to her trainer and waits patiently until it is ready for her.

Common Amateur Mistakes

I truly do not like to see riders overmounted. When a horse is too strong, it is unsafe, and it is very difficult to judge a rider when that is the case. A rider is only able to achieve his or her goal if the performance makes the horse look soft and in control.

That is not to say that an amateur rider should not try to show a horse as well as the professionals do; we all want to see amateurs step up to the plate. A good amateur on the right horse is competitive even in an open class. But when it is a mismatch, the judges (when they’re not worrying about the rider falling off) will be thinking that it is a great horse and this makes it look less than great.

Overmounting is the most common error we see in the youth classes. We all want that standout performance, but kids are not necessarily ready for some horses—say, in particular, young horses just coming out of the junior or open ranks Or it may be that the horse belongs in a division, but the kid is not ready for it yet.

The trick for all of us is to be honest about your own skill and where the horse is in its training for the amateur division. Many times an amateur horse and rider aren’t perfect enough for the English division, but could go in the park division, where a brilliant performance is rewarded. They are not going to be killed for their mistakes. If they are good enough, they can win at the national level with a dazzling presentation, rather than go in the English Pleasure class where manners come first.

It is worth noting that many judges will actually mark a horse down if they think the rider is overmounted or the horse is too much for that division. Many judge on the specs of the class—as they are trained to do and as we respect them for—and if they think an amateur is overmounted, will put them at the bottom of the card rather than the top.

These days, it is not necessary to do that to yourself just to get into the ring. The way our point system and qualifications are now, when the amateur horse isn’t ready for the amateur division, the amateur can consider showing it in the open division. That way, they can get points toward amateur competition when the horse is ready for it, maybe six months down the road. The way we are set up, we get something for everything, instead of riding for nothing.

Overmounting is one thing; overriding—an amateur (without the talent or the mount) trying to look like a professional—is another undesirable picture.

The rule to remember is simple: An amateur riding a horse to the best of its abilities, no matter what the division, makes a better amateur performance.

And finally—as I’ve said before, I think that the biggest thing holding amateurs back today is nerves. Until you get past your show nerves, you’re not going to enjoy the ride, and your mental state will be reflected in your horse’s performance.

Back In The Amateur Ranks

As I mentioned, I have started showing again after a layoff due to injury. For my first outing—on a new horse, no less—I went in old man’s Country Pleasure, my favorite class. I was dead scared of falling off and getting hurt again, so I was a good example of how nerves can mess you up.

Anyhow, that was just the first ride. Having survived, I went back 24 hours later and won the regional championship unanimously. It was all getting past that fear. That’s what I had to do, and I did—I just wish I could say I didn’t fall off. However, my mare had on so many decorations (sweepstakes, top five and championship ribbons, as well as roses), she looked ready for the Rose Parade. The wind was blowing and it caught that hoola-hoop of color swirling around her neck, and she must have thought to herself, “I’m outta here.” Unfortunately, I wasn’t with her, but I landed on my feet.

So, to recap my thoughts about the amateur team: The “whole picture” is all about how you are presenting yourself—your attitude, your facial expression, your body carriage. It just so happens that the same things we’re looking for in a true amateur horse, we’re looking for in a true amateur rider.

For anyone who would like to email questions, topics, or comments, I can be reached at info@battagliafarms.com. I’d love to hear from you.

Russell Vento Jr. has been involved in the Arabian industry for 25 years, and since 1989 has been a partner in Battaglia Farms. He was honored twice with APAHA Amateur Horseman Awards. To date, he has owned or shown 30 U.S., Canadian and National Show Horse national champions, and he now enjoys watching his daughter Skyler win on many of the horses with whom he was successful. He has been a Large R USAE/AHA judge since 1996.