Student Perspectives
Click on a girl's photo to learn what Madeira girls are saying about academics, athletics, arts, Co-Curriculum, and residential life.
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Melissa, Class of 2010
On riding:
I am a sophomore boarder from Waterloo, Illinois. Before coming to Madeira, I was the only girl at my school who rode. Now, most of my friends ride at Madeira. Being part of a team and having the support of my friends has made me a more confident rider. We all come from different riding backgrounds, experience levels, and riding disciplines. I love the speed of jumpers and the endurance, courage and precision of eventing. Our coach, Ms. Wentzel and the other Madeira instructors are amazing.They understand our goals and work hard with us to polish our riding skills. I have difficulty with bending my arms and keeping my fingers closed on the reigns while I ride. If my position isn't perfect at an event, my score quickly plummets.The instructors here see all of those little things that can hurt our score, and they strive to help us improve.
I am the type of person who likes to see the bigger picture, but Madeira has made me take a step back and start with the smaller things that all come together to form the bigger picture. Day by day, I feel myself improve with my riding skills, and I'm lucky enough to be able to apply those skills to multiple horses instead of just my own. I feel that this makes a well-rounded rider.
Riding equitation is very different from what I am used to, but I learned a lot that day about being able to ride a horse that you've never seen and making it work. It was fabulous to be able to support the other team members, which is a huge part of the riding experience.
