07/24/2026
You should be asking yourself these questions, Andre Dignelli shares. What are my goals? Am I at a place where I can meet my goals? Am I setting myself up for success? Where do I want to be a year from now?
This generation is not wired to think about long-term goals. It’s all about instantaneous gratification and instant success. Riders want to buy the made horse and buy the ribbon. In the end, that isn’t possible. If history has anything to say, if you look back at the last 50 years, the most successful riders—both at the junior equitation championships and at the senior levels of show jumping sport—it’s still the overachievers that found a way to the top of the podium. Many of those riders have been working students or children of professionals.
When it comes to goal setting, there needs to be an honest conversation about what you are willing to put into achieving the goals you’ve set forth. How much riding are you doing, day to day? How many horses are you riding? Are you working to improve every day and receiving frequent instruction, or are you just taking some lessons on the weekend and never practicing what you’ve learned? When you are riding, are you just riding, or are you riding with purpose?
Most importantly: How much time do you want to invest in achieving this goal?
Identifying your place in the sport is important. Are you doing this for sport, or is this more recreational—or are you somewhere in the middle? All have a place in the industry, at the barn and at the horse show, but achieving certain goals requires a certain level of commitment.
📎 Continue reading this article at https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2023/01/04/ask-andre-how-do-you-set-realistic-goals-for-your-riders/
📸 Heritage Farm's Andre Dignelli, Laena Romond and Patricia Griffith. Photo © KIND Media
