01/18/2026
"As an adult rider a few kids ago, I spent 10 years with a trainer who cared far more about how I rode between the jumps than over them. At the time, I didn’t realize how rare that was. How lucky I was.
This trainer believed deeply in fundamentals that now feel almost old fashioned. Flat work you could feel in your shaky legs the next day. Straightness you could sense with your eyes closed. The correct use of aids instead of shortcuts. It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t fast. It wasn’t easy. But it worked. And only now, watching my own daughters come up in this sport, do I realize he was teaching me something the horse world may be losing.
What I remember most is his relentless focus on the basics. And it wasn’t just because I rode green horses. He believed every horse deserved an educated ride. Nothing was about checking boxes on the way to jumping bigger. Because of him, I grew to appreciate the flat work and looked forward to my flat-only lessons.
I also loved watching him ride, mesmerized by the way he made it all look so soft and effortless. Shoulder-in. Haunches-in. Lengthening. Shortening. Of course, it wasn’t effortless at all. It was thoughtful, demanding work. And he let me into that process. He talked while he rode, explaining what he was feeling and why he was asking for something. I could ask questions in real time. It was an education I didn’t fully appreciate until years later when he had transitioned to becoming a successful judge.
Eventually, I reached out to thank him. At the time, I didn’t understand how sacred that education was. And now, as a parent of young riders, that realization worries me. Because if that education mattered so much to me as an adult, it matters even more for children who are still learning who they are in the saddle. I want my girls to learn the kind of riding that lasts. The kind that builds a foundation instead of rushing past it."
Read the rest of Jamie Sindell's blog: https://www.theplaidhorse.com/2026/01/09/why-flatwork-still-matters-in-a-hurry-up-society/
📸Jamie Sindell
