Tack Box Talk

Working Equitation: The story of riding something new, Spanish style!

Kris Hiney, Stephanie Hayes Season 6 Episode 147

Send us a text

Stephanie Hayes, returning guest and founder for the Center of America's First Horse describes an exciting new sport - Working Equitation.  This fun competition honors the traditional riding style of southern Europe. Think a mix of dressage, working cattle, and speed trail!  Correct riding and balance are the key, and you don't need a fancy Spanish horse to get started.

Working Equitation

00:46:07.440 --> 00:46:32.350

Kris Hiney: Welcome to extension horses, tack, box, talk series horse stories with a purpose. I'm your host, Dr. Kris Hiney, with Oklahoma State University. And today we're going to be talking about a horse sport that probably many of you have not heard of. So we're going to have a returning guest, Stephanie Hayes, who is the founder of Center for America's 1st horse we visited with her about Spanish barbs, and this

 

434

00:46:32.350 --> 00:46:40.270

Kris Hiney: discipline ties right into these Spanish horses. And that's working equitation. So welcome back to the program, Stephanie.

 

435

00:46:41.100 --> 00:46:42.820

Stephanie Hayes: Thank you. Glad to be here.

 

436

00:46:43.390 --> 00:46:55.449

Kris Hiney: So I, I actually love this topic because I literally stumbled across some Youtube videos of these competitions because I always like to try to put different horse sports in my newsletters

 

437

00:46:55.530 --> 00:47:13.289

Kris Hiney: and saw these. And I was like, this is super cool, because it's like when people think about equitation. I think they think like, Oh, we go around the ring and do the pattern. No, this is nothing like that. So tell us a little bit about what working equitation is because it's super exciting.

 

438

00:47:13.550 --> 00:47:20.636

Stephanie Hayes: Yeah, it's really cool. And I love to be able to share about it because it is

 

439

00:47:21.210 --> 00:47:37.460

Stephanie Hayes: I think it. It might be the fastest growing discipline in the Us. Right now, but it's still so small. So the history of working equitation is rooted in Southern Europe. The countries of France.

 

440

00:47:37.830 --> 00:47:39.230

Stephanie Hayes: Italy.

 

441

00:47:39.350 --> 00:47:58.710

Stephanie Hayes: Portugal, and Spain held their 1st competition in the mid 19 nineties, and it's been here in the US. Mostly on the West Coast for maybe close to 20 years. It was established to showcase the training and

 

442

00:47:58.710 --> 00:48:15.840

Stephanie Hayes: athleticism and the relationship that a rider would need with their horse to work cattle, Southern European style, with a big, long pole called a Garoccia, not like with a rope like we use here in this country.

 

443

00:48:16.040 --> 00:48:19.373

Stephanie Hayes: and it was a way for

 

444

00:48:20.080 --> 00:48:32.079

Stephanie Hayes: for them to showcase their Iberian horses. The you know what agile, wonderful athletes that the Lusitanos and Andalusians are.

 

445

00:48:32.270 --> 00:48:47.790

Stephanie Hayes: and the sport spread to different countries. It is comprised of 4 different trials. The 1st is a dressage test which would look like a standard USDF test, but it's a little bit different.

 

446

00:48:47.930 --> 00:49:01.159

Stephanie Hayes: The scoring is the same, the sheets look the same, but the movements would be different than what you may have in some dressage tests. The second trial is called ease of handling.

 

447

00:49:01.560 --> 00:49:14.339

Stephanie Hayes: and that's an obstacle course. There's obstacles that would represent something you may see out working in the field, or a skill that your horse would need to work cattle.

 

448

00:49:14.390 --> 00:49:19.650

Kris Hiney: The 3rd phase is the speed trial, where it's yeah. I've seen.

 

449

00:49:19.650 --> 00:49:27.330

Stephanie Hayes: Yeah, that's probably what you've seen. It's very exciting. In the speed trial. If you think of a jump off

 

450

00:49:27.943 --> 00:49:40.996

Stephanie Hayes: you're making tighter circles, smaller turns, shorter lines, really? You know, having a lot of adjustability with your horse, but the speed round

 

451

00:49:42.130 --> 00:49:47.690

Stephanie Hayes: should still have a flavor of good horsemanship.

 

452

00:49:47.820 --> 00:50:09.880

Stephanie Hayes: balance, rhythm, timing. It's not. It's not a Gym khana. It's not a free for all Yahoo horsemanship goes out the window. If you watch those videos, you'll see that these horses are so balanced in in these very small turns and changes of lead every 2 strides, sometimes.

 

453

00:50:11.420 --> 00:50:25.899

Stephanie Hayes: so yeah, the speed round is usually what most people see on the Internet, because those kind of go viral. And then the last trial, which is optional, if it is even held in a competition would be the cattle trial, where you work

 

454

00:50:26.330 --> 00:50:43.359

Stephanie Hayes: as a team with 3 or 4 riders, and each rider gets a cow that they have to pull out of the herd as a team. You move it down to the other end of the arena, and you put it in a pen, and you have 3 min to do that.

 

455

00:50:43.850 --> 00:50:47.200

Kris Hiney: Kind of like team penning then, but with a pole.

 

456

00:50:47.200 --> 00:50:57.609

Stephanie Hayes: No poles, no poles. Actually, that's not true. In Europe. They use poles in the Us. I have never seen anybody use a pole in the cattle trial.

 

457

00:51:00.057 --> 00:51:04.060

Stephanie Hayes: it's not like team penning, because

 

458

00:51:04.380 --> 00:51:09.949

Stephanie Hayes: I think the focus is a little more on.

 

459

00:51:11.010 --> 00:51:14.390

Stephanie Hayes: like the art of moving cattle.

 

460

00:51:14.500 --> 00:51:17.210

Stephanie Hayes: not just running the cattle down.

 

461

00:51:17.590 --> 00:51:19.102

Kris Hiney: It's more like sorting.

 

462

00:51:19.480 --> 00:51:20.709

Kris Hiney: Yeah, so many different.

 

463

00:51:21.500 --> 00:51:27.270

Stephanie Hayes: It's a little like, you know, class. So the sport is rooted in classical dressage.

 

464

00:51:27.910 --> 00:51:34.560

Stephanie Hayes: So the cow work is kind of more like classical cow work.

 

465

00:51:34.600 --> 00:51:39.130

Stephanie Hayes: you know. It's not. It's not cowboy style.

 

466

00:51:39.360 --> 00:51:51.040

Stephanie Hayes: It's more of and this is just how I've experienced it, my myself. Working the cattle and also in in the competitions.

 

467

00:51:52.080 --> 00:51:57.450

Stephanie Hayes: it's about being able to read that cow. It's about working with your teammates.

 

468

00:51:58.087 --> 00:52:02.919

Stephanie Hayes: and not and keeping things calm and quiet.

 

469

00:52:04.371 --> 00:52:12.679

Stephanie Hayes: So there's some stockmanship skills that are involved

 

470

00:52:12.820 --> 00:52:19.390

Stephanie Hayes: much like in the in the other 3 phases there is a dressage.

 

471

00:52:19.620 --> 00:52:38.289

Stephanie Hayes: There's a very dressage piece to this sport. You don't have to be a dressage rider to do it, though that's the great thing about working equitation is, it's open to everybody, and people from all sorts of different disciplines come to this sport, and it just.

 

472

00:52:38.480 --> 00:52:46.930

Stephanie Hayes: It's so enjoyable because you meet people that are Western riders English riders, dressage riders. Oh, I used to be a.

 

473

00:52:47.030 --> 00:52:54.470

Stephanie Hayes: you know. A ranch rider, and everybody comes from these different disciplines into working equitation.

 

474

00:52:54.920 --> 00:53:12.049

Kris Hiney: So I have lots of questions. Okay, so first, so I'm going to start with the easy ones. So in of the videos, I've seen these have all been Spanish horses, but in the Us. Is it still people that primarily have these? What you could like, these Iberian horses, or do other types of horses do this.

 

475

00:53:12.280 --> 00:53:27.440

Stephanie Hayes: It's open for all types of horses and all types of horses can do very well what you see on those Youtube videos is, you're probably watching, like the European championships.

 

476

00:53:27.700 --> 00:53:33.589

Stephanie Hayes: right? And everybody's riding Iberians or Iberian crosses.

 

477

00:53:33.620 --> 00:53:40.159

Stephanie Hayes: because that is the culture there. I mean, that's where this all started.

 

478

00:53:40.622 --> 00:53:45.980

Stephanie Hayes: The horses excel at it because the sport was kind of built around them.

 

479

00:53:46.788 --> 00:53:55.780

Stephanie Hayes: Here in the Us. And other countries. You don't have to ride a Lusitano to be successful.

 

480

00:53:56.315 --> 00:54:07.870

Stephanie Hayes: There's 7 levels in the sport. The 1st Level. The introductory is just done in walk and trot as you move up the levels you canter, and then you do

 

481

00:54:07.890 --> 00:54:17.169

Stephanie Hayes: lead changes through walk, and then you do lead changes through flying changes, and then you're required to ride, one handed in level 6 and 7,

 

482

00:54:17.200 --> 00:54:20.859

Stephanie Hayes: and it's a high degree of collection. So

 

483

00:54:21.070 --> 00:54:30.490

Stephanie Hayes: in the progression here, you can have, you know, just a very average moving horse. With some.

 

484

00:54:31.960 --> 00:54:49.961

Stephanie Hayes: you know, decent training can do quite well. Up in our lower levels, one through 3. It's just walk, trot and canter. Nothing collected is required, you know. Is your horse calm? Do you have a good working relationship with him?

 

485

00:54:50.800 --> 00:54:53.830

Stephanie Hayes: it. It's very basic.

 

486

00:54:54.641 --> 00:55:03.879

Stephanie Hayes: As you get up into the upper levels, levels 4 and 5, where you start working in collected work. I again, you're

 

487

00:55:03.910 --> 00:55:10.399

Stephanie Hayes: your average horse can do quite well, but more is going to be asked of them at that point.

 

488

00:55:11.930 --> 00:55:23.560

Stephanie Hayes: And not all horses are built for collection, which is where you know you're at in level 7 is a very high degree of collection, so

 

489

00:55:23.730 --> 00:55:31.569

Stephanie Hayes: every horse can do it. Is it going to be easy for every horse as you get to the upper levels. Probably not. But you're gonna

 

490

00:55:32.140 --> 00:55:34.579

Stephanie Hayes: have a really well-trained horse.

 

491

00:55:34.920 --> 00:55:49.629

Stephanie Hayes: and you're gonna have a lot of fun getting to that point. Our largest divisions right now are the adult amateur at Level 2, where you just start the cantering work.

 

492

00:55:50.715 --> 00:55:58.510

Stephanie Hayes: Because, you know again, like any breed can do this. I've seen draft horses, there's

 

493

00:55:58.530 --> 00:56:08.280

Stephanie Hayes: halflingers quarter horses, thoroughbreds, I mean every there's such diversity in in the breeds, which

 

494

00:56:08.680 --> 00:56:11.779

Stephanie Hayes: also makes it really fun and open for everybody.

 

495

00:56:12.160 --> 00:56:19.559

Kris Hiney: Right? So I'd say, like, that's I mean, true for everything. Once you get to the upper elite levels, you have to have the horse that's built for the job, but

 

496

00:56:20.020 --> 00:56:23.160

Kris Hiney: levels of a lot of events. It can be a more

 

497

00:56:23.300 --> 00:56:26.990

Kris Hiney: all purpose, horse, so to speak, or it doesn't have to be a specific.

 

498

00:56:27.120 --> 00:56:30.430

Kris Hiney: So working equitation.

 

499

00:56:30.770 --> 00:56:35.290

Kris Hiney: So we've got the cattle. We've got the, you know, kind of the Spanish influence.

 

500

00:56:35.340 --> 00:56:42.599

Kris Hiney: So, and you said they have to ride. One handed. What the heck kind of tack are we talking on these guys

 

501

00:56:44.446 --> 00:56:45.163

Kris Hiney: right.

 

502

00:56:45.880 --> 00:56:57.709

Stephanie Hayes: Well, another great thing about the sport is it's open to any kind of working tack and attire.

 

503

00:56:57.830 --> 00:57:02.700

Stephanie Hayes: So if you're a Western rider.

 

504

00:57:02.930 --> 00:57:13.429

Stephanie Hayes: you would have your Western saddle bridle and a working outfit. It bling does not

 

505

00:57:13.450 --> 00:57:31.819

Stephanie Hayes: go well in working equitation, because this is a working sport. So we want to see tack and an attire that would fit that like, you know. Think of your Sunday going out in your Sunday best riding clothes. If you're a dressage rider.

 

506

00:57:31.950 --> 00:57:39.419

Stephanie Hayes: you come from that background. You have your dressage saddle you can wear, you know, very conservative

 

507

00:57:39.450 --> 00:57:50.069

Stephanie Hayes: jacket boots, breeches, and have that dressage. Look If

 

508

00:57:50.460 --> 00:58:04.630

Stephanie Hayes: you are riding an Iberian horse and you want to ride in traditional tack and attire. Then you would have a Portuguese saddle and all of the

 

509

00:58:05.403 --> 00:58:14.280

Stephanie Hayes: accessories that go with that that's the attire that I ride in. I, my upper level horse is a Lusitano

 

510

00:58:15.217 --> 00:58:20.900

Stephanie Hayes: and I ride with the skirt, the coat, the

 

511

00:58:22.182 --> 00:58:28.937

Stephanie Hayes: working equitation saddle the crupper, you know the whole. Get out

 

512

00:58:31.239 --> 00:58:37.330

Stephanie Hayes: there's Spanish attire, which is different than Portuguese, and because,

 

513

00:58:38.130 --> 00:58:42.330

Stephanie Hayes: The sport is in. You know the European

 

514

00:58:42.410 --> 00:58:47.460

Stephanie Hayes: DNA. They're very particular to tradition.

 

515

00:58:49.210 --> 00:58:59.629

Stephanie Hayes: And you know again you watch the videos. And most of these riders are in their Spanish or Portuguese attire.

 

516

00:58:59.670 --> 00:59:02.909

Stephanie Hayes: So you get to pick what

 

517

00:59:02.970 --> 00:59:09.279

Stephanie Hayes: you're most comfortable in what your horse goes best in, and what would match your horse

 

518

00:59:09.310 --> 00:59:10.990

Stephanie Hayes: also, you know, if

 

519

00:59:11.482 --> 00:59:24.529

Stephanie Hayes: I mean, I think you could ride any horse in a Western saddle, but if you're riding a quarter horse, you may want to, you know. Show the show that tradition. So the sport is

 

520

00:59:24.890 --> 00:59:30.509

Stephanie Hayes: is showing what tradition different traditions of riding there are.

 

521

00:59:30.580 --> 00:59:34.470

Stephanie Hayes: It's not a costume class, you know, where you

 

522

00:59:34.470 --> 00:59:37.720

Stephanie Hayes: I was. Gonna ask like, do you have to declare yourself? I'm Portuguese.

 

 

524

00:59:39.080 --> 00:59:39.830

Stephanie Hayes: No, the only

 

525

00:59:39.830 --> 00:59:49.370

Stephanie Hayes: the only declaration is that you really don't want to mix attire and tack. We have a presentation mark in our collective marks.

 

526

00:59:51.370 --> 00:59:59.349

Stephanie Hayes: And if you are mixing attire and tack, you're not going to get as high of a score.

 

527

00:59:59.860 --> 01:00:00.480

Kris Hiney: Okay.

 

528

01:00:00.810 --> 01:00:24.819

Kris Hiney: so and I'm at a bit of an advantage because I have watched some of this. But could you maybe even talk about what type of maneuvers slash obstacles? Because I don't think people, unless I again inspire people to start googling this. They probably don't know what it looks like and all what's actually involved. So tell us a little bit about what things you might do as you kind of go up through the levels.

 

529

01:00:25.290 --> 01:00:30.850

Stephanie Hayes: Yeah, so at the very introductory level, in the ease of handling phase.

 

530

01:00:31.140 --> 01:00:50.919

Stephanie Hayes: you won't have more than 12 obstacles. I think it's like a minimum of 10 or 12 obstacles. You would have a gate to open a bridge to walk over. You'd have Slalom Poles to trot through. There could be a figure 8 to trot around

 

531

01:00:52.147 --> 01:01:01.800

Stephanie Hayes: you would walk through or into what's called a livestock pen, which is a 20 foot diameter.

 

532

01:01:02.270 --> 01:01:04.143

Stephanie Hayes: 10pen 533

01:01:05.970 --> 01:01:14.410

Stephanie Hayes: you would be trotting between the obstacles and walking. You could even walk some of the obstacles.

 

534

01:01:15.780 --> 01:01:24.900

Stephanie Hayes: At that level. No, no cantering is required, and you're really just

 

535

01:01:26.380 --> 01:01:33.969

Stephanie Hayes: flowing through the obstacle with rhythm. There's a lot of transitions that will happen. There's

 

536

01:01:34.020 --> 01:01:41.089

Stephanie Hayes: obstacles that you have to stop at and do something with your hand. Like. Ring a bell.

 

537

01:01:41.578 --> 01:01:49.100

Stephanie Hayes: You would stop between 2 poles for your switch cup and move a cup from one pole to the next pole.

 

538

01:01:49.280 --> 01:01:59.729

Stephanie Hayes: and then sort of the signature obstacle of the sport is picking up a grocepole, which is a big, long

 

539

01:02:00.380 --> 01:02:08.759

Stephanie Hayes: wooden dowel, basically between 8 and 11 feet long, and

 

540

01:02:08.870 --> 01:02:14.510

Stephanie Hayes: you would pick it up out of a barrel and then spear a ring that is on

 

541

01:02:14.530 --> 01:02:17.478

Stephanie Hayes: like a cutout bull, or even

 

542

01:02:18.430 --> 01:02:24.330

Stephanie Hayes: or even onto a jump standard. Usually it's a bull or some kind of

 

543

01:02:24.360 --> 01:02:32.689

Stephanie Hayes: animal thing. And you'd spear the ring and then replace the pole in the barrel.

 

544

01:02:33.930 --> 01:02:38.008

Stephanie Hayes: So that is called the bull line and

 

545

01:02:39.060 --> 01:02:40.720

Stephanie Hayes: So there's things that

 

546

01:02:41.280 --> 01:03:05.029

Stephanie Hayes: you have like different skills that you have to show. As you work up through the levels, you would do all of those obstacles. You would also do a side pass pole, maybe back through an L corridor. You can be asked to do the gate either forward or back through the gate.

 

547

01:03:06.760 --> 01:03:18.305

Stephanie Hayes: as you work up through the levels, you're going to be doing all those obstacles cantering now, and your circles are going to be smaller around the figure 8 or

 

548

01:03:18.850 --> 01:03:28.760

Stephanie Hayes: There's a obstacle called drums there. There are 3 barrels, and you have a pattern, not a barrel racing pattern, but a pattern of circles.

 

549

01:03:29.261 --> 01:03:33.899

Stephanie Hayes: Through those obstacles, and then you would do flying lead changes

 

550

01:03:34.090 --> 01:03:46.120

Stephanie Hayes: between those between those barrels or through your Slalom poles at the upper levels. Level 6 and 7, where you're required to ride one-handed

 

551

01:03:46.180 --> 01:03:53.120

Stephanie Hayes: your Slalom Poles, you would be changing leads approximately every 4 strides. So it's like your 4 tempes.

 

552

01:03:55.600 --> 01:04:10.309

Stephanie Hayes: the Double Slalom are just some very small U-turns to poles with a change of bend at the lower levels or at the upper levels, a change of lead through them.

 

553

01:04:11.240 --> 01:04:17.999

Stephanie Hayes: Your horse has to be supple, balanced, and on the aids.

 

554

01:04:18.360 --> 01:04:21.553

Stephanie Hayes: And you know, when I'm teaching clinics

 

555

01:04:22.800 --> 01:04:33.689

Stephanie Hayes: regardless of what discipline the riders come from, everybody walks away with. Wow! This is going to really help with whatever they do.

 

556

01:04:34.170 --> 01:04:36.999

Stephanie Hayes: because, you know, if your horse isn't on the Aids.

 

558

01:04:38.020 --> 01:04:47.730

Stephanie Hayes: For any discipline. You're gonna have trouble. And you know, I think you know, one of the great benefits of working equitation is that

 

559

01:04:47.850 --> 01:04:53.899

Stephanie Hayes: it just really brings horses and riders together as a working unit.

 

560

01:04:54.690 --> 01:05:06.350

Stephanie Hayes: There's no room for disobedience, and you know it's like we always take it back to working cattle like if your horse is disobedient. Opening the gate in the ease of handling.

 

561

01:05:06.570 --> 01:05:10.860

Stephanie Hayes: What if there's a 2,000 pound bull on the other side of that gate?

 

562

01:05:11.060 --> 01:05:12.999

Stephanie Hayes: You know you're gonna get killed

 

563

01:05:13.060 --> 01:05:17.020

Stephanie Hayes: like your life is depending on it, you know. So

 

564

01:05:18.210 --> 01:05:23.315

Stephanie Hayes: you know I have seen I've seen horses and riders

 

565

01:05:24.510 --> 01:05:31.729

Stephanie Hayes: just become so much better in their partnerships from practicing

 

566

01:05:31.780 --> 01:05:35.459

Stephanie Hayes: the sport, and then like taking it into competition.

 

567

01:05:35.810 --> 01:05:38.507

Stephanie Hayes: You know, it's a lot of fun.

 

568

01:05:39.130 --> 01:05:39.610

Kris Hiney: Yeah.

 

569

01:05:39.610 --> 01:05:44.649

Stephanie Hayes: You know, and not everybody has to take it, you know, to a show.

 

570

01:05:44.850 --> 01:05:54.089

Stephanie Hayes: but just learning how to execute the obstacles is going to help everybody, and that's why I love teaching as much as I do.

 

571

01:05:54.780 --> 01:06:24.529

Kris Hiney: Yeah. And I think I would encourage people to take a look at it, because I think people do get in a, you know, maybe bored or in a rut, you know, with some of the horse sports and want to try something new, and this does give a great outlet for horses to get also out of the rut, because they can get pretty tired of doing the same thing all the time. And this is a lot more mixing things up for them, and, like you said, really relies on that brokeness factor, so could be great for some reschooling of horses.

 

572

01:06:24.930 --> 01:06:33.970

Stephanie Hayes: And that's how I came into the sport. You know I was. I was at a place in my own riding like

 

573

01:06:34.550 --> 01:06:41.549

Stephanie Hayes: competitive dressage wasn't really where I wanted to go with it. But I love.

 

574

01:06:41.840 --> 01:06:46.849

Stephanie Hayes: I love training, and I love dressage. As you know, the

 

575

01:06:47.364 --> 01:06:55.730

Stephanie Hayes: the definition of dressage is training, and I loved that piece, but I didn't. I didn't want to do the competitive piece of it.

 

576

01:06:56.403 --> 01:07:03.479

Stephanie Hayes: And you know, with my Spanish barbs. It was a way to promote them in a sport

 

577

01:07:04.191 --> 01:07:15.719

Stephanie Hayes: where I thought that they would really excel, and they have but you know, tired of the 20 meter circles. And where am I going with this? Like what?

 

578

01:07:16.080 --> 01:07:20.920

Stephanie Hayes: And yeah, I mean my 1st clinic that I took my 1st introduction

 

579

01:07:21.270 --> 01:07:26.380

Stephanie Hayes: I was like, oh, my gosh! I can do this like I think I think I could be good at this

 

580

01:07:26.390 --> 01:07:31.190

Stephanie Hayes: when I I learn what it is, and how to do it, and it has changed

 

581

01:07:31.340 --> 01:07:36.660

Stephanie Hayes: the way that I start my horses. It's changed the way

 

582

01:07:38.230 --> 01:07:42.740

Stephanie Hayes: that I teach it has. I mean. My riding

 

583

01:07:43.140 --> 01:07:47.160

Stephanie Hayes: was kind of stagnant for a while, like a long time.

 

584

01:07:47.190 --> 01:07:53.821

Stephanie Hayes: and I'm such a better rider now, and I have so much more to offer my horses.

 

585

01:07:55.470 --> 01:07:59.290

Stephanie Hayes: and yeah, it has. It has been

 

586

01:08:00.120 --> 01:08:07.990

Stephanie Hayes: like a total game changer for me in my professional riding career.

 

how do you find

 

590

01:08:27.890 --> 01:08:32.989

Kris Hiney: trainers, horse events, etc, on working equitation.

 

591

01:08:34.090 --> 01:08:47.180

Stephanie Hayes: The best place to go is to the website of our national governing organization, which is U.S.A. working equitation. So usawe.org

 

592

01:08:48.254 --> 01:08:53.059

Stephanie Hayes: on the website. You're gonna find a description of

 

593

01:08:53.130 --> 01:08:58.539

Stephanie Hayes: all of the trials. So you can read about what they are.

 

594

01:08:59.100 --> 01:09:07.940

Stephanie Hayes: You'll find a list of professional instructors that are recognized through U.S.A. We

 

595

01:09:08.472 --> 01:09:12.907

Stephanie Hayes: that are in all corners of the country. There's

 

596

01:09:13.670 --> 01:09:18.040

Stephanie Hayes: There's 7 regions within the organization.

 

597

01:09:18.598 --> 01:09:28.219

Stephanie Hayes: and I think we now have a professional instructor or 2 in every region I serve on the Professional Development Committee.

 

598

01:09:29.361 --> 01:09:32.528

Stephanie Hayes: So you can also

 

599

01:09:34.859 --> 01:09:40.800

Stephanie Hayes: go. There's if you Google working equitation in your State.

 

600

01:09:41.556 --> 01:09:48.560

Stephanie Hayes: You may find that there is a affiliate organization nearby. You

 

601

01:09:48.630 --> 01:09:55.270

Stephanie Hayes: and these are little chapters more like local chapters of the national organization.

 

602

01:09:55.960 --> 01:10:04.240

Stephanie Hayes: and these groups are great to get people started in the sport. Most affiliate organizations are hosting clinics.

 

603

01:10:05.005 --> 01:10:12.589

Stephanie Hayes: Maybe they have an instructor that they work with. Maybe they're even offering shows.

 

604

01:10:14.880 --> 01:10:25.009

Stephanie Hayes: In each of the 7 regions we have a regional director, and that person would be your contact person. So if you're in

 

605

01:10:26.440 --> 01:10:38.638

Stephanie Hayes: Virginia. You're gonna be in Region 6, you can go on the website and look for the region. 6 director and email them and say, Hey, what's going on around me?

 

606

01:10:39.050 --> 01:10:47.500

Stephanie Hayes: so that will connect you to people in the sport who can help you get going?

 

607

01:10:49.130 --> 01:11:06.990

Stephanie Hayes: the working equitation community is like no other that I've seen in a lot of disciplines that I've been involved in. Everybody just wants to help grow the sport and be a resource, and it's the most welcoming

 

608

01:11:07.510 --> 01:11:11.870

Stephanie Hayes: and friendly group of people like

 

609

01:11:12.000 --> 01:11:23.990

Stephanie Hayes: ever. And it's so much fun. Clinics are so much fun. Shows are even more fun, because it's almost like the competition is secondary, you know, everybody gets to get together, and

 

610

01:11:24.090 --> 01:11:25.230

Stephanie Hayes: it's not

 

611

01:11:25.880 --> 01:11:29.710

Stephanie Hayes: I mean, yes, we are a competitive group.

 

612

01:11:29.730 --> 01:11:37.829

Stephanie Hayes: But in general, you know, this is a very challenging sport. We're just happy to be there and to be able to do it.

 

613

01:11:37.890 --> 01:11:40.770

Stephanie Hayes: It's not an easy sport. It's not

 

614

01:11:40.830 --> 01:11:48.200

Stephanie Hayes: for somebody that wants to just like memorize a dressage test, and then, like, Go ride one. You have to really know

 

615

01:11:49.210 --> 01:11:53.197

Stephanie Hayes: about all these obstacles and all the rules and all that.

 

616

01:11:53.610 --> 01:12:00.759

Stephanie Hayes: The rule book is on the website also, which has a description of all the obstacles and their execution.

 

617

01:12:01.583 --> 01:12:10.010

Stephanie Hayes: So I would say, the usawe.org website is the go to place for

 

618

01:12:10.220 --> 01:12:20.860

Stephanie Hayes: anything or contact me directly, and I can. You know I'm well connected throughout the country and

 

619

01:12:20.930 --> 01:12:29.020

Stephanie Hayes: know all of our regional directors quite well, and can get people connected. When I

 

620

01:12:29.820 --> 01:12:36.680

Stephanie Hayes: 1st learned about working equitation, and thought that this was something I wanted to help.

 

621

01:12:36.740 --> 01:12:46.519

Stephanie Hayes: promote and ride in get involved. I started an organization called New England working equitation.

 

622

01:12:46.960 --> 01:12:49.510

Stephanie Hayes: Now, I have a website which lists

 

623

01:12:50.339 --> 01:12:58.330

Stephanie Hayes: our shows and the clinics coming up and everything. You know that we're doing here in New England. I know that you have a

 

624

01:12:58.370 --> 01:13:04.720

Stephanie Hayes: a broad audience. On your podcast but I teach.

 

625

01:13:04.870 --> 01:13:07.888

Stephanie Hayes: I teach all over the East coast.

 

626

01:13:08.910 --> 01:13:13.499

Stephanie Hayes: almost every weekend. If I'm not showing I have.

 

627

01:13:14.810 --> 01:13:21.710

Stephanie Hayes: You know, people I can connect you with, regardless of what state you're in, so please feel free to reach out to me.

 

628

01:13:22.330 --> 01:13:40.570

Kris Hiney: Okay, all right. Well, we'll make sure that people take you up on that. So I think again, after everybody's listened to this, go look at the sport, because I think you'll be intrigued. We can't do it justice by just a verbal description. But I I definitely saw it. I was like, oh, that looks just like a ton of fun. So

 

629

01:13:40.930 --> 01:13:44.503

Kris Hiney: yeah, hopefully, we can bring you more people.

 

630

01:13:44.950 --> 01:13:50.979

Stephanie Hayes: Yeah. And just remember when you're watching these European championship rides.

 

631

01:13:51.588 --> 01:13:58.879

Stephanie Hayes: it doesn't start there, either. Either. People see that and are totally inspired. Like I was like.

 

632

01:13:58.920 --> 01:14:07.110

Stephanie Hayes: I gotta do this or you're intimidated. And you're like, Oh, I could never do that. You can do it because it starts

 

633

01:14:07.850 --> 01:14:09.897

Stephanie Hayes: walking and trotting.

 

634

01:14:10.580 --> 01:14:11.170

Kris Hiney: Right.

 

635

01:14:11.480 --> 01:14:18.589

Kris Hiney: but you could practice your pole sticking a ring without your horse right? Just start running around and sticking it.

 

636

01:14:19.850 --> 01:14:21.440

Stephanie Hayes: Definitely, certainly.

 

637

01:14:21.710 --> 01:14:22.400

Kris Hiney: So

 

638

01:14:23.160 --> 01:14:37.049

Kris Hiney: well, this has been fun, and I'm always excited to bring new sports to people, just so they can see how broad the horse industry is, and again find, maybe, that new passion that if you're getting a little bored with what you're doing.

 

639

01:14:37.310 --> 01:14:45.071

Kris Hiney: try something new, and and who knows? Maybe, as you work your way up the ranks, and you're gonna need one of those fancy Spanish horses.

 

640

01:14:45.635 --> 01:14:46.430

Stephanie Hayes: Get the feedback.

 

641

01:14:46.430 --> 01:15:08.490

Kris Hiney: Fancy prints and collecting from those guys. So I really appreciate your time today, Stephanie, and we'll put all the information for people in the show notes always. Remember, if you like, what you hear, you can rate us review, subscribe to the podcast you can hear more of us, but that has been another episode of our tack box talk horse stories with a purpose.