Entering my first Dressage Schooling Show and getting sage advise from someone who knows the "normal" and "natural" world

I told my friend Nancy about entering my first schooling dressage show next week, and she had some pretty great things to say about it, so I decided, with her permission, to quote her here: 

"Looking at the partnership through the microscope of showing is more important than winning. It gives the process way more meaning and gives me a new way of seeing things."


"I think going to a show is a great challenge. It's not so much the judging and competition that is the big deal."

"Can I get us to the place we need to be at the time required? Can I read my horse and know what he needs or sometimes more importantly what he doesn't? Can I accomplish this at the moment that I need him to be his best? Can I get myself there as well? For the new at showing: Can I control my emotions? Can I deal with my ego? Can I deal with all the other human distractions? Can I maintain a focus with all the unexpected things that happen at the show? All of these factors multiple your relationship issues and test your weaknesses a hundred fold. To me this is the ultimate read on where you are. This is what I have come to love about competing."

"I think you will find the showing experince both fun, in all the ways we talked about, and bizarre. The bizarre will come from the "normal" world. People will be focusing on more external forces such as "OMG the ground at X is boggy", or "there is not enough warm up space", or "so and so just did what ever"... it will consume some. The thing that always makes me laugh is that they usually find something they 1) can't control and 2) is a negative then focus and fixate on it. They just can't seem to help themselves. This was always good b/c I knew I had them beat before I ever stepped into the ring. The other thing I think you will find interesting is all the folks that are requiring external validation, usually from their trainer and and/or friends."


My plan is always to be as prepared as we can be; skills, understanding of the rules, clothing, tools, etc. So, regardless of what level we attain, for Walker and me the question at a show will always be, when we have to, can we? 


When we have to, can we? Every show will answer that question. And my training should always have that question in the back of my mind. This will mean that our relationship will have to be really good. Because some days, he may not feel like doing what I am asking, but he'll do it anyway, for me.