2022 Team Tate Fund Recipient: Megan McIsaac

Thank you to The Dressage Foundation, all the donors, and the Team Tate Mentorship and Leadership Fund!  I received a $5,000 grant to train with my mentor, Kathleen Raine, at her farm in Murrieta, CA, in February and March of 2023 with my horse, Diablo! 

The time spent with Diablo and Kathleen was focused on improving my skills at Grand Prix.  I wanted to become more confident in schooling another horse at Grand Prix and continue working on my techniques at developing better gaits, the piaffe, working on the transitions from passage to piaffe, and back to passage.

This was a very special winter; Diablo is a new partnership, and I did not train him.  I truly believe everything happens for a reason. Unfortunately, my long-term partner, AJ, was not able to make the trip.  This was a huge disappointment as I had wanted to have the opportunity to work with Kathleen and get more mileage in the CDI arena with him.  Instead, I focused on my new partnership with Diablo and preparing him for Grand Prix.  He has never been shown higher than PSG.  Diablo made it special because we did not have a history or emotion between us.  I have found in my work with my long-term partners, we have a history and I know all their weaknesses and strengths.  This can be to our benefit, but after this winter, I think it has been holding us back!  It was refreshing to just come into the arena and just ride.  No goals, or expectations, just figuring each other out and chipping away at the hard stuff!  As a bonus, Katheen made it fun!

Now that I have been home for a month, I can really see all the benefits of my winter training with Diablo and Kathleen.  I bring less emotion and tension into the work because I was always trying too hard to be successful or excellent in the daily work.  Diablo broke a few patterns in my riding, both mentally and physically.  It was also great to start out our partnership on the right foot with training from Kathleen.  It was amazing to have help from the ground daily.  Kathleen would push me when I needed it!  With my last two horses, I have had real difficulty training the ones.  It was great to work with Diablo on flying changes and my position.  Now that I have been back home working with AJ, the changes are not that big of a deal.  All the pieces of the Grand Prix are easier and flow much better.  There is a great benefit to taking a break and taking the time to break specific patterns.  All my horses are going better!

With my grant, I also made sure to take the time to develop my business and leadership skills.  The time spent in California with financial support allowed me to take time away from my business.    This time was spent on reflection: what is working internally, what do I need to change within my business, what do I need to change within myself, and I also shared my journey through posts on Facebook.  I had my mentor, Kathleen, daily, so I asked questions about everything!  Business, life, competition, ideas, morals, and ethics.

I wanted to share that my posts on Facebook were not a requirement.  I thought in the spirit of the grant, that being vulnerable and sharing not just my training with Kathleen, but also many topics within my business might benefit other professionals.  That it is ok to take a day off!  That it is ok to make changes within your business!   Over the winter, I focused on the type of clients that I attract as well as who I want to attract.  I created a new website and really analyzed the service that I provide to our sport. I did some deep soul searching and made the changes I need to feel proud of my business and ready to continue for the next 20 years!  Burnout is real, loneliness is real.  So are connection, growth, and positive changes.

Thank you for helping me make positive changes personally and professionally!