MARGIE ENGLE

In 2005, Margie Engle locked up her record ninth Budweiser AGA Rider of the Year title.  She’s one of the winningist grand prix riders ever, and she’s an inspiration to young riders everywhere.

Margie represented the U.S. on the 2000 Sydney Olympic team and the 2003 Pan American Games gold-medal team with Hidden Creek’s Perin.  She’s one of the hardest-working riders in the business, and here she answers YOUR questions!!!!!

Kirsten, Ottawa, Ont.
You’re a very tight, effective rider even on big horses, despite your not-so-tall stature. So do you have any tips for other short folk with big or heavy horses?

Dear Kirsten,
If possible, it’s usually better to get a horse that fits your size and style of riding. If you do have a horse that’s larger, the best way to communicate with him is by getting him as broke as possible on the flat and as responsive to your aids as possible. Through many hours in the saddle and after developing a type of horse sense, you can try and feel what works best with each horse. It is also a good idea to be as fit and strong as possible (especially if you’re small) by working out.

Cassandra, Tequesta, Fla.
I go to a school where they don’t understand my riding or consider it a sport. People give me a very hard time about it. What would you say to those people who just don’t seem to want to understand our sport?

Dear Cassandra,
Many people don’t know much about riding horses. When I was growing up, and even now, I had much the same problem, because most of my family and friends from school were “non-horsey.” The best thing you can do is to just be patient and try to educate them about our sport. Some will understand, and some won’t, but it’s worth trying.

Stacy, Southern, N.J.
I now have a jumper who will be showing at level 7 next year, hopefully coming back from an extensor tendon injury. The vet says to jump low, wide jumps to help him stretch while bringing him back. What do you suggest?

Dear Stacy,
Without knowing the extent of your horse’s injury, it’s really difficult for me to comment. I would go by the advice of your vet. One thing that is important in bringing a horse back from any injury is to give them lots of time to heal and make sure that they’re thoroughly muscled up before doing much jumping. Lots of walking over different surfaces is also good for horses coming back from tendon injuries.

Brittany, Media, Pa.
Is Perin your favorite horse?

Dear Brittany,
Perin is for sure one of my favorite horses. Even if he wasn’t such a great athlete and competitor, he is one of the sweetest, kindest horses I’ve ever been around. He loves everyone and would make anyone a nice pet. He acts more like a dog than a horse.

Diane, Harrisburg, Pa.
Thanks for so many years of entertainment and inspiration. I guess my question is sort of two-pronged: As an adult who has pretty much achieved all there is in your career, how do you keep it fresh? Or do you even find things get stale?

And the other part: I find in talking to so many other adult riders that, as we age, we tend to start understanding our mortality. I’m not quite so brave over jumps and I don’t think I ever want to back a baby again. Are you able to go on because it’s old hat for you? Do you feel more cautious than you did as a younger rider? Or does experience give you the edge?

I guess if this had to be reduced to one question—how do you deal with the emotional, psychological and physical aspects of aging and still keep fresh and brave?

Dear Diane,
This is the type of sport that never gets stale because you always have new horses with new challenges. I think it’s the type of passion that you have forever.

As far as being cautious as time goes by, I guess that’s not my nature. I think that, through experience, we all try to learn from our mistakes and try not to repeat them. But some of the catch riding I used to do when I was younger, I don’t do as much of anymore.

In regards to the emotional, psychological and physical affects of aging, I just try to focus on the task at hand and stay as positive as I can–the horses keep us fresh.

As far as being brave, I have a lot of confidence in my horses, and I just try to keep instilling positive thoughts and confidence in them. It’s good to keep a strong bond with each horse.

Vicki, San Jose, Calif.
As someone who worked hard to make their way to the top of the show jumping world, what advice would you give to a talented young rider who has limited funds?

Dear Vicki,
The best advice I could give you is to be willing to work hard, be patient, determined, and take advantage of any job you can get to work with and around horses to gain experience. Every horse can teach you something if you’re willing to learn. If you can, watch the movie “Rudy”—it’s very inspirational and shows that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Even if you don’t reach every goal, you will gain many things along the way when you are willing to work hard for something.

James, Spokane, Wash.
Who are your idols as show jumping riders? Did you try to model your style after any of them?

Dear James,
There are so many great riders out there: Rodney Jenkins, Joe Fargis, Katie Monahan Prudent, Leslie Burr-Howard, Conrad Homfeld, etc. I tried to learn as much as I could from watching and asking questions of many of them. For the most part, I tried to listen to the horses I rode for my best feedback. There’s no substitute for hours in the saddle, practicing.

Robert, St. Louis, Mo.
Which have been the most memorable horses in your career and why?

Dear Robert,
I’ve been very fortunate to have had many great horses. Perin would probably be one of my favorites, as he is so scopey and kind. There has never been a course that I thought was too difficult for him, even in the Olympics.

Saluut II was a real winner and probably my fastest grand prix horse. He had a heart bigger than any horse I ever rode, and he was very careful. He tried 110 percent every time out.

Laurel was a real lady and in a class by herself. She had great style and went around like a hunter.

Alvaretto was small, but didn’t know it, and could—and did—jump around some huge tracks. He was a real winner and had a lot of spunk.

Reggae was my next-fastest grand prix horse after Saluut and he loved what he did. He would just put you in a great mood when you got on.

Daydream was my first real competitive grand prix horse, and I won my first big grand prix and puissance classes on him. He’s still alive and in his late 20s.

I could go on and on, as I have been blessed with many great horses. And what they all had in common was that they really loved what they did and had a lot of heart and talent. If I named all of them, I could make a book. Each one has a special place in my heart for different reasons.

Susan, Morristown, N.J.
What’s the difference between a good high amateur-owner jumper and a grand prix horse? Or between a good grand prix horse and a great one? Is it just scope? Can you tell by riding them once or twice?

Dear Susan,
Usually, the difference between a good amateur-owner jumper and a grand prix horse is scope, but also carefulness and heart. The difference between a good grand prix horse and a great one is extra heart, carefulness, scope, and rideability. It would be difficult to judge after riding them once or twice, but you would get an idea.

Charlene, Boca Raton, Fla.
What was the hardest part of recovering from and coming back from your broken leg last year?

Dear Charlene,
I guess the most difficult part was not being able to ride for so long. This was the first injury I’d had that needed surgery. I couldn’t go right back to walking right, much less riding, for a while. The physical therapy was very helpful, though. It was a very frustrating time in a lot of ways. But, I have to be thankful for being able to come back and for having as good a year as I had this past year.

Kate, Boise, Idaho
What’s the best type of turn for a speed course or jump-off? Should it be more off the hind end, or more of a spin with a central pivot point? Assuming the horse knows proper medium or above flatwork, what are the aids and how do you teach proper turns to the horse without putting too much pressure on their bodies?

Dear Kate,
The best turn for speed is off your horse’s hind end to keep him balanced. A horse gets his power and thrust to jump if he’s balanced correctly. Flatwork is very important, and one exercise that helps for turning is to practice turns on the haunches, which helps teach them to pivot off their hind end.