“There is no joy in deadline. The desire to be something is ego-oriented and useless to the horse. Strive to do something instead! Do not seek arrival but enjoy the process of getting there.” Charles De Kunffy, The Ethics and Passions of Dressage If there is one thing upon which my boss and I don’t … More Deadlines, bottomlines, stress … and letting go!
One reason I dropped out of teaching and training was the epidemic of anyone who won a few ribbons hanging out their shingle as a trainer. In some cases, people who rode horses trained by other people were getting their scores and then becoming professional trainers. I saw people and horses getting hurt under such … More Is your instructor worthy?
In this era of learning everything by YouTube video or Facebook posts, people seem to rarely have the patience to spend time learning anything in depth. I have read many an article that says we no longer need experts because we have so much knowledge at our finger tips. I hope those authors never need … More Apprenticeship
Buried in annual staff evaluations, filing our taxes, and starting up a blog for my mother, I am resigned that the draft posts I started will have to wait. However, in quiet moments, when my brain needs a break, I have been rereading this old favorite. It reads like a good lecture, easy with some … More Nothing educates like a horse
If there is one thing that can stir horse people up, it’s a discussion on technique. I don’t care what discipline you are in, as soon as you start to discuss technique or method, opinions are strong, and dismissals frequent. It is true that some techniques or methods have little to recommend them. Anything that … More Principle above technique
I write often about the parallels I see between art and classical Dressage. It was a sensibility that began to take root while I was studying art, but was truly entrenched during my years of training Dani. As we grew together in skill, and I watched her change her whole form through the work, I … More The divergent paths of art and sport
Horse Crazy Once Again 