CAPITAL CHALLENGE EQUITATION WEEKEND 2008

Hi, Everyone, wanted to catch up with you today after workng at the Capital Challenge Equitation weekend in Maryland. The last couple of weeks have been really busy with a new type of adjustment - juggling attending Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, full time and working for Frank Madden Show Stables at Hunters Moon Farm in East Norwich, New York. The number of traveling miles on my car has been significant and, the ongoing learning with a passion for everything equestrian continues to propel me everyday!

While watching and teaching this weekend, my thoughts were directed toward how constructive feedback between trainer and student during the indoor season, and all year round for that matter, is essential, yet difficult to achieve. The trainer's goal is to establish a receptive atmoshere for appropriate and helpful feedback so that the junior equestrian will hear the message and focus on improving rather than feeling criticized. So as you start your journey into the next few weeks of intense competition, or even if you are not doing indoors this year, listen and be open to what your trainer has been trying to tell you. Try to use the information received during the next show or while at indoors. Discuss the trainer's feedback with him or her because it can really help you and your horse to achieve your goals.

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the management of the Capital Challenge Horse Show for asking me to participate in the award ceremeony for the winner of the Monarch International Equitation Championship. Congratulations to, Matt Metell, and to the other top ten finishers as well as all of the other riders who competed in the class.

Catch up with me next weekend during the USEF East Coast Show Jumping Talent Search, at the USET headquarters in Gladstone, NJ, for my next blog. Next weekend, I go back into competition mode at the finals.

Talk to you later,
Maria Schaub