A Weekend of Firsts with Dallas: Trust, Growth, and Listening to the Horse
Dallas schooling the night before the show. He was so relaxed and confident!
This past weekend was full of “firsts” — and the kind that remind you why thoughtful training and patience always pay off.
It was my very first time showing Dallas.
Since owning him, I had only taken him off property one other time, so I truly didn’t know what to expect. Would he be nervous? Distracted? Overwhelmed by a new environment?
I’m happy to say he absolutely exceeded my expectations.
When we arrived on Saturday to school, we rode alongside a couple of his “brothers,” and once he had a little time to acclimate, he was confident and not spooky at all. In fact, he was more attentive to the smaller aids than he usually is at home — where he’s constantly distracted by the neighbor’s cows. (Apparently, showgrounds are less interesting than livestock!)
Sunday’s warm-up was one of those rides you never forget. Dallas warmed up beautifully, and I felt the best quality canter I’ve ever experienced on him. He felt relaxed, uphill, and truly seemed to be enjoying himself.
Then came our turn.
Dallas confidently left his brothers in the warm-up arena to head into the ring — but just as we did, the wind picked up and a sign blew nearby. In that moment, he decided he was no longer okay being away from his buddies. He became tense and nervous almost instantly.
I introduced myself to the judge and then had a quiet “discussion” with Dallas about which direction we were going to go. I debated whether it was fair to ride the test at all, especially knowing I would be asking him to canter right in front of the judge while he was feeling that anxious.
In the end, I made the call to scratch.
The judge sounded surprised, but when I asked if I could simply walk and warm up around the perimeter for the time my test would have taken, she kindly agreed. As soon as the next horse entered the arena, Dallas began to relax.
Sometimes listening to the horse is the real win.
As the day went on, the weather took a turn for the worse — including a tornado warning while some of my students were riding. I was scheduled as the final ride of the group and was considering scratching again when Monique decided to go for it. Since she was just one ride before me, I chose to take Dallas out to warm up and see how he felt.
This time was different.
Because I was also coaching my students, I spent more time simply sitting quietly on him. Interestingly, standing around and letting him process everything relaxed him far more than keeping him moving.
By the time we were called, he was noticeably calmer. His brothers were nearby, and the show arena was right next to the warm-up — all of which helped him feel secure.
We went in.
He was a little nervous at first, but then he took a breath, settled, and gave me a genuinely good test.
And just like that, our first show together was in the books.
This weekend wasn’t about ribbons or scores — it was about building trust, gaining experience, and letting Dallas learn that new environments can be positive ones. Every outing like this lays another brick in the foundation for the future.
We’re off to a really good start.