12/15/2025
Many riders make steady progress in their lessons at home, and some never feel the need to show. Geoff Teall understands that “many students who never show” and simply enjoy the process of learning. For these riders, competition is not a requirement. But Teall also makes clear that horse shows provide learning opportunities that riders cannot fully recreate in a controlled schooling environment. Competition adds challenges, variety, and perspective that help broaden a rider’s skills and understanding.
Showing is not the only path forward, but it offers a distinct form of education that complements regular instruction rather than replaces it.
At home, most riders ride in familiar patterns without realizing it. They school in the same ring, over the same jumps, and within a routine that becomes predictable. Teall explains that when riders practice on their own, they “inevitably tend toward a particular consistent pattern or program.” While this consistency can help reinforce skills, it can also limit exposure to new questions.
A horse show disrupts that predictability. Teall notes that “other course designers are never going to build a course exactly as you would,” and that a show ring “won’t be exactly the same size as you’re used to.” These changes require riders to adapt, think, and respond in real time. Even the layout of the warm-up ring, the placement of jumps, and the feel of the footing introduce variables that cannot be replicated in a home environment.
This new setting encourages riders to expand beyond familiar habits and routines.
Teall emphasizes that one of the great values of competition is that it places riders “in a situation that you did not create yourself.” At home, riders have significant control over their schooling environment. They set when they ride, what exercises they use, and how they structure their work. In the show ring, those decisions belong to others.
Riding in a situation shaped by someone else forces riders to adjust rather than default to comfortable choices. It encourages them to rely on the skills they have practiced piece by piece, using them to navigate questions they did not choose. Teall explains that this experience helps “perfect skills that won’t bloom in a tamer environment,” underscoring the role of competition in sharpening a rider’s abilities.
One of the most immediate differences in competition is the course itself. At home, even varied schooling sessions carry elements of familiarity. At a show, the course designer’s decisions determine the track, the questions, and the flow. Teall stresses that these challenges broaden a rider’s education and expose them to lines, approaches, and turns they may not choose for themselves.
This diversity allows riders to experience how their horses respond to different types of questions. Over time, riders become more aware of how each element—whether a forward line, a long approach, or a turn off the rail—changes the balance, pace, and feel of the ride. That awareness helps them refine their skills at home and prepares them for future courses.
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