Michigan Horse Sports

Jon Costin, top Canadian dressage rider

talks about training horses, teaching, and the newest requirements for international qualification.

Jon, you’re known by both Canadians and Americans as a good dressage teacher and a good trainer of horses to Grand Prix level.  You have had 8 horses on the CEF over the last five years.   How do you divide up your time? 
I train horses about 75 per cent of the time and I teach riders about 25 per cent.  My goal as a trainer is to get every horse that’s capable of it to the Grand Prix level in dressage.  I work a lot with Neil Ishoy.  That’s our strength, being able to get horses up to Grand Prix.  It’s ingrained in me to work the horses up that level and that’s just the way it is, that’s the goal.
 
When you have a horse that is talented in this way, you said it takes about 5 years to make a horse that’s got the build and the mind for dressage into a Grand Prix horse. 
You can do all the tricks much, much sooner – and that’s part of the fun of it.  But all along you’re working on increasing their strength and polishing moves and then getting them into the ring and doing a good job of it all.  In two and a half years you can touch on everytghing and it takes about five to really finish a horse.
 
And how do you approach teaching a person to ride well? 
It’s a lot of fun bringing a student along up to that level.  And then maybe selling their horse as a schoolmaster and upgrading to the next horse, starting again with a new, young, talented horse.  It’s a lot of fun to bring them up to Grand Prix and do a competent job showing them how to get there.  Then a student moves on to a new horse.  I guess the word for this is “producing.”  It’s gerat to be able to continuously repeat a successful procedure with new horses.
 
Then there are students like me!  Last year when I came to train a few days with you in dressage – I brought an ex-race horse-turned-jumper. While I had ridden in eventing through Advanced and therefore had done a few 2nd level things in dressage, I was way out of practice.  You were very willing to work with me on getting the horse to accept the leg and learn about flatwork.   My horse was not exactly built physically or mentally for dressage but I appreciate your giving me as much attention as you gave your best horses and riders. 
I like students who are ambitious in their training.  Whether they have the potential to buy a $200,000.00 horse or not.  If both such students have the ambition to learn, I love teaching them both.
 
This takes a lot of time, when your goal is so high for horses and riders! But one of the things I like about working with you is that you are so articulate.  I know what you mean when you explain something to me.
Thank you.  I try to be articulate.  I have thought things through.  After all, when it’s your full time job, there’s a lot of strategy involved in getting where you are. going – in training and in the politics of horses.
 
What are some common problems you see in riders?
In the trot, the rider often doesn’t have the confidence to really let the horse go and cover ground.  In collection, having the core strength to keep a horse back on its hocks is what riders need to develop.
Most riders have never had the experience of having a schoolmaster and so it’s hard to understand just how far back you can bring a horse and what it feels like.  Most riders have never experienced it so the problem is not their fault.  Even when you watch videos and read about collection, to actually feel how far back to strive for and to develop in the horse and how forward you can actually go is hard to know without experience.  This is especially true for the trot work.
In general, say, in clinics that I might walk into, riders and horses are missing the collection in the canter, too.  I see these problems at First level  - which is why riders find the jump up to the next level so hard.  Canter pirouettes and flying changes come out of the collection.  You need impulsion in the trots so your laterals and extensions look really good.
 
Do you have any interesting horses right now?  I know you have your Grand Prix mount Wholio.  Anything coming along?
I have an 8-year old that I showed Advanced last year and I’ll take him Grand Prix next year.
 
Tell me what your Grand Prix horse has been doing.  You were shortlisted for the World Equestrian Games. 
I was the last one to miss out on it.  But it’s a big commitment.  It means many weeks away from home.
Wholio is ten years old.  His last show was the Canadian League World Cup Final in Toronto during the Royal Winter Fair in November.  Now it’s down time because there is nothing huge to qualify for other than Hong Kong.  And Canadian dressage has not earned a berth for the Olympics anyway.  We’re depending on the Pan Am Games to earn an Olympic berth.  Unless we’re in the top 3 or 4 in Buenas Aires we won’t go to the Olympics. 
 
Isn’t there a new way to qualify now?
Yes.  The jumpers have always been able to qualify at the Pan Am because they ride at the Grand Prix level and the Pan Am Games for jumpers has been a Grand Prix competition.  But historically dressage has not because the competition went only to the Advanced level.   The organizers are trying to make the Olympics more inclusive.  So any country, a smaller one in terms of dressage such as, say, Columbia can qualify for the Olympics at the Advanced level at the Pan Am Games and then go on and get their Grand Prix scores  later. 
The FEI is also concentrating more on emerging and third world countries.  So you might have a better chance of going if you’re from Hungary or Israel or Columbia or any one of these types of regions than you would trying to qualify as an American or a Canadian.
The Americans are qualified because they got a Bronze at WEG in Aachen. 
Now the Olympics and the Pan Am teams are comprised of three riders and horses.  The FEI in all disciplines is trying to be more inclusive so they’re having smaller teams and therefore more countries can go.
 
Are you going to Florida this winter?
No.  My Advanced horse is still relatively young and isn’t experienced enough to campaign and be competitive at the Pan Am Games and that’s what people will be competing for.  The majority of people who ride at the Grand Prix level are working towards competing at the Games because it’s the only competition at a high level that’s available right now to qualify for.  These competitors have a lot of miles and down there this year you want a horse that can pull off the test blindfolded.  It will be a huge field.  There might be fifty horses in eadch Prix St. Georges class.  Last year, there were classes that numbered in the 40’s in the Grnad Prix.  That’s been unheard of.  The big classes at Grand Prix last year were because of the World Equestrian Games.  The big classes this year will be because of the Pan Am Games.
 
What’s the difference between a Grand Prix and a Prix St. Georges horse?
Statistically, a Grand Prix horse is not the same as the top St. George I.  It’s a different type.  SGI’s have real strength for ground covering and steadiness.  And no mistakes.  Horses at Grand Prix have power for collection.  STG II is technical and the GP has collection.
 
Oh, for me that’s like saying there’s a 3-day horse and a horse trials horse.    In the past, they’ve been different animals.  With the changes in the 3-day format, however, that may no longer hold.
Yes, that’s similar.
 
What about the World Cup in Las Vegas?
Some Canadian and American riders going to the World Cup will be determined in Florida.   And it’s the last year for this type of qualification.  They’re changing it to a North American region as opposed to an American, Canadian and Mexican competition for qualification.  So there will be two or possibly three riders and horses going regionally – I think the FEI is looking for the best riders rather than the best from a given country.  Up until this time, the World Cup has not always been a venue for the best riders.    In the future, if there are two Americans better than a Canadian and an American, then the two Americans will be chosen.  This can work to benefit Canada quite possibly.  All of this information I’m giving you here isn’t all official yet but it’s basically all true.
 
Since you’re not going to Florida you might be doing more teaching and maybe giving more clinics.  You live near Hamilton, Ontario, which is only a few hours by truck and trailer from Michigan.  How do people speak to you? 
Since we still have dial up here in Freelton and it’s really slow people should call me.  I’m really good about getting back to people by phone.