Provided through a partnership between STRIDER & the United States Eventing Association, our Featured Clinician article series published in USEventing.com spotlights a different top industry influencer each month in dressage, showjumping or eventing. It is republished below for widest possible dissemination {Affiliate Links below}
Boyd Martin is an absolute asset to the sport of Eventing in the United States. A staple of the US Eventing Squad at International Championships, Boyd consistently produces horses to the top level of the sport, and carves out time to give back to the community by teaching at his own Windurra USA (West Grove, PA) in addition to traveling to teach clinics nationwide.
Following multiple wins at Mars Equestrian CCI Bromont in the CCI Four Star-Long and the CCI Three Star-Short, STRIDER managed to steal a few moments of Boydâs time just prior to a clinic in Michigan.
âSometimes the schedule for the time I can allow for teaching isnât ideal for most, the horses and competition come first. Right now, the Bromont horses are having a bit of a rest, but itâs a hard balance. Most people want clinics when theyâre thick in competition season, and that time isnât always available. I have to keep my priority on my horses and my Eventing careerâ.
âTraveling to teach like this is a bit of a catch-22. I donât teach that many clinics because Iâm so busy with my own horses, itâs hard to find the right time to get away. I do look forward to a bit of a break of the monotony of training at home because itâs really interesting to be able to go to different parts of America where there are eventing enthusiasts. Meeting so many new horses and people- itâs refreshing, but itâs hard work.â
Boydâs clinics are incredibly popular, which can be attributed in part to Boydâs unique style of teaching. âI definitely donât bring my textbook on âRight Ways of Ridingâ. Iâve learned so much off many, many people in years of Eventing. Iâve been hard at it at the top level for 25 years now, so I have my own system blended from all sorts of wonderful trainers. I try to pass along little things Iâve learned along the wayâ.
âI always think back to the first clinic I ever took. It was with the legendary George Morris in Mt. White, Australia. I can still remember the two sessions word-for-word and how he structured it. He put so much discipline into the sessions and I so clearly remember the feeling of improvement I took away from the clinicâ.
âPeople pay so much money, and drive long distances to go home with the feeling that theyâve achieved and learned somethingâ.
Striving to give people an experience that is worthy of the time and effort they put into attending a lesson or clinic with him, Boydâs teaching style truly reflects what he practices with horses in his program.
âIn a show jumping clinic, for example, I try to recreate how I train mine at home when jumping. So I start out with some flatwork, move the horses around a bit. Then I check in with the rideability- is my horse adjustable? Can I make the stride longer and shorter? Then Iâll add in a gymnastic to work on technique. Ultimately I build up to a bit of coursework. Really though, every horse is an absolute individualâ.
Having been consistent at the top of the sport for so many years comes from lessons learned along the way, for better or worse. âIâd probably go back and tell myself not every horse is meant to be a champion five star horse. One of my biggest flaws- that Iâm trying to change- is that I try to make every horse the best horse in the world. Iâve spent many thousands of hours month after month day after day on horses that wouldâve been a bit better off had I made the decision to sell them or redirect their career at an earlier stageâ.
âI think the biggest lesson for working students is being at a top stable with a good rider. Watching, learning, listening; day-in and day-out. Month after month, year after year. That worked for me. Not how many lessons I got, but being immersed in a program and observing what was going on day in and day outâ.
Observation of some of the best riders in the world and their programs has certainly left a lasting impression on Boyd.
âIâve had two huge equestrian mentors. I went to work for Heath Ryan in Australia when I was 17. It was a huge learning experienceâ. Ryan is an Australian Olympian and has produced countless International Eventing and Dressage horses. Boyd spent eight years immersed in Ryanâs program, which he says âhad over 200 horses, with everything from breeding to breaking-in and upper level horsesâ.
In 2007, Boyd relocated, and continued to absorb all that he could from yet another top program.âMy 2nd life has been here in America, I worked for Phillip [Dutton] for two or three years- which was an unbelievably positive and life-changing experience. Watching him train horses, run his business and look after his family was an incredible lesson in itselfâ.
Having worked tremendously hard for all of his successes, Boyd has high standards for his working students and apprentices. A number of the most committed and ambitious riders who have spent time immersed in the program at Windurra in West Grove, PA and Aiken, SC have gone on to be successful at the International level.
âI always try to make time to help my working students. Iâll be the first to admit my program is slightly different from most. The workload, effort, energy, and commitment of people who work for me is very high. Itâs grueling long, long hours and hard, hard work. A majority of people donât want that intense of a program. Those who hang around and end up staying are usually pretty unique individualsâ.
âNatural ability is handy, but Iâve seen so many gifted riders amount to nothing because they werenât hungry or determined enough. Someone with high ambitions, commitment and who is hard working is always going to stand outâ.
Boyd Martin has an upcoming 1-day clinic in Middleburg, VA which is part of the Rutledge Farm Sessions Clinic Series on August 10, 2019. There are nationwide opportunities to ride or audit one of Boyd Martinâs clinics available with easy online registration through STRIDER.
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