I went to more horse shows and competed at the Oaks Spring Classic on Oscany Inc.’s elegant Large Junior Hunter Valor. The grass field at the Oaks remains my favorite venue for the hunters. There is something about the green grass; the blue sky and the mustard covered hills in the background that lets you know it’s spring. Valor, a.k.a. “Cupcake,” put in two stellar rounds, garnering us a pair of blues.



I had a chance to reflect on my experiences catchriding some equitation prospects. My observations are about riding equitation prospects that have come from different disciplines. I was offered catchrides on three different horses from three different exotic locales.
For the sake of anonymity I will call them horses X, Y and Z. Horse X came from the military cavalry of a foreign country. He was a big, gentle horse with a great disposition. He was discovered in Europe and had done the jumpers, but really didn’t seem to be fast enough. X just needed to to be bridled up as he had a slightly long back. This horse reminded me a little of the famous equitation horse Gladiator. He got better and better over the few weeks that I rode him and we won a couple of equitation classes.
Horse Y was discovered at a local show when its previous owner had given up on it. Rumor is that Y was spotted making a quick slide down the ladder of horse world desirability. I was never told what he did to be dropped to the bottom of the food chain, but it was the astute eye of a foreign Olympic rider who intervened and gave this horse a pardon from his death sentence. Y showed great promise in every class I rode him in and he was beautiful to look at. He definitely has what it takes to win. In the interest of full disclosure, he was pretty evil in his stall: Think barred teeth, pinned ears and a hateful glare. But I quickly figured out that the moment the halter and lead went on he turned into a saint. Talk about Jekyll and Hyde.
Horse Z was cute as can be. His neck and large head were set high on a handsome body. He, too, came out of the jumpers. He had a willing disposition, dwelled a little in air, landed a tad hard, but had all the necessary components to be a winning equitation horse. Within weeks he went from his first big equitation class on the West Coast to winning at the most competitive horse show in the United States on the East Coast. All three horses had what it takes. Each one was attractive, brave and tractable. Each one was plucked from obscurity and purchased by a knowledgeable professional, willing to gamble with his or her own pocket book.

Goals Are Gold
I received an interesting e-mail from the Los Angeles Hunter Jumper Association. I applaud their effort. In particular, the paragraph on goal setting by Nicole Edwards inspired me.
When asked what she thought about the importance of goal setting for riders, Nicole wrote:
“Goal setting is extremely important. It is a critical aspect to setting up and adjusting a training program for a horse, rider or horse and rider combination. Strategic/long-term goals should be determined and reviewed at least yearly. Then intermediate and short-term goals should be set to create a program of attainable steps designed to create a path to achieving the long-term goals.
“The shorter term goals are important, as they create milestones which give positive feedback and reward the effort put forth. Some goals need to be achievable in a shorter time frame so as not to discourage horse and/or rider. The ultimate goal may be very daunting; however, the smaller building block goals create a sense of accomplishment, which enables and encourages the rider to press on and grow. Short-term goals also create a set of checks and balances to ensure that the horse and/or rider are on track to reach the strategic goals. 
“As short term goals are achieved, strategic goals should be reviewed to ensure that the entire process is moving in the correct direction for the individual.
“Goal setting is valuable for all riding, not just showing. I am a firm believer that one is always learning when riding, so goals help direct that learning process. This makes riding more productive and rewarding for both horse and rider.”
Meredith Bullock, my trainer at the community ring, has us make a note card at the beginning of each year. She has us list our goals on it. During the year she will review where we are in achieving our goals. I have found this to be incredibly useful. Just by writing out the goals and thinking about them, I feel like I move a step forward towards realizing them.

Zazou Hoffman is an accomplished junior hunter/jumper rider who lives in Santa Monica. California Riding Magazine is pleased to have this hard-working young rider as a regular columnist. She can be reached via e-mail at barnum1126@adelphia.net.