1% More is a blog series in which we ask World Equestrian Brands endorsed and trainer team riders to give us one booster tip that will help us to improve our competitive edge by 1%. As any true athlete knows, over time all of those 1%s add up to significant results.
Sabine Schut-Kery is an Olympic Silver Medalist and internationally acclaimed Grand Prix Dressage rider, and trainer based in California.
WEB: Sabine, would you talk to us a little bit about the daily habits in your life that may be small, but add up to big results?
Sabine: It’s important for me to spend personal time with my horses so that I can develop a real relationship with them. For example, I make it a point to warm up my horses and cool them out myself. Really giving them the gift of my time. They deserve it!
- I really take time to walk them at the beginning. When starting a warmup and at the end of the session, I let them walk around the property on a loose rein so the horses can relax . Riders forget how important it is not only physically for the horse to warm up their body’s but also mentally. It is never good to rush horses. I always remind myself “when you rush your horse you will get to the wrong place faster.”
- Giving your horse time to properly cool down his joints, muscles, and soft tissues can prevent injuries and limit muscle stiffness. I turn out my horses on pasture every day to give them as much time as possible spent as they would in nature. The horses I ride in the morning go out in the afternoon and the horses that get ridden in the afternoon go out in the morning. This ensures they keep moving throughout the day and don’t sit for too long in their stall. They get breaks in between in their stalls to eat hay. This routine keeps the horse’s body and mind in a good balance and a mindset that is a happy horse coming to work.
- I make sure that my team and I are not overbooked to ensure that we have enough time dedicated to build a relationship with each horse and to understand their personality and what each horse likes and dislikes. This process takes time and that is why it is so important that we make and take time to connect with each horse not only in the saddle but also on the ground.
WEB: Relationships with the horses! Many people like to be with their horses, but we don’t hear a lot about how riders work to be in a better relationship with their horses. How does working on your relationship impact your higher-level performance over time?
Sabine: I have a responsibility to them to really know them! The horse is not a tennis racket, waiting to be picked up and used.
In dressage, the relationship matters! I get to know my horse on a deeper level. What is he reactive to? When are the right moments to work through something or back off?
In the show ring, the spectator doesn’t see any aids because it becomes so subtle. A little movement with one of the seat bones or a little hug with my calf, those are the aids I can deliver when I know my horse and he knows me so well!
Connection is not just in the aids, it’s also mentally, in the training, in the communication!
WEB: Quote of the day: Your horse is not a tennis racket!
Sabine: Right!? It’s a living being that we ask to work with us! There is a large psychological aspect when you train horses. I always say, “I want my horse to think and interact with me and not just that they become like soldiers waiting for a command.” I want to embrace each horse’s personality.
I have one horse that is very shy, he’s an introvert. When we work through things, he tends to go into a little shell and hide. He just crunches his body together and gets tense. So, it’s important that I can nurture towards his personality and identify the moments when it becomes too much for his body or mind.
I do a lot of work with stallions and some of them are more alpha. It’s important that they accept me as a leader in our partnership. You can’t force a horse to do that. You must develop the relationship so that you can embrace the horse’s personality to bring out the best in him.
And this all goes back to spending the time with each horse and making sure we are all in a good head space when we get to work.
WEB: You mentioned structuring the horse’s day so that he can be mentally prepared to spend time with you. Would you talk a little about that?
Sabine: Of course. My horses don’t ever stand in the stall all day. They go out in turn-out seven days a week. I live in California, so I have the luxury of good weather pretty much all year, but even if it rains, we take them out to hand walk several times a day.
They get lots of time getting groomed and curried, so their muscles get warmed up and they get lots of time to interact with their groom.
Of course, we have a range of therapeutics so between the turnout and grooming, that’s hours of time and then I ride them, too. So, we are getting them out of the stall many times a day and all this allows them to be ready mentally to work.
WEB: And how does this routine impact your horses long-term?
Sabine: Longevity for sure. In nature, the horse moves while grazing all day. So keeping the horse lightly moving all day keeps the blood flowing in their legs and helps them to stay mentally healthy. I have had good results in my career by giving them a chance to do what they do naturally all day.
WEB: What a great insight to bring to this conversation. Thank you, Sabine! Of course, we have to ask you, how has the addition of Equipe Saddles to your program impacted your performance over time?
Sabine: Riding in my Equipe saddles has been instrumental in both my daily training and competition success. The quality and reliability of Equipe saddles have truly elevated my performance in the ring and given me the confidence to push our boundaries during training. My horses feel great and happy!
To learn more about Sabine, visit her website at sabineschutkery.com.
PC: Susan Stickle and Morgan Froment Photos
