Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Impulsion

We often hear terms like:  "forward"or "in front of the leg".  It is important to discuss the meaning and difference however. 
Impulsion is thrust and includes the idea of "desire to go"  along with a relaxation of the back.  Obviously a race horse has a desire to go forward but doesn't have the added quality of relaxation of the back that is necessary for a dressage horse.
A horse is "in front of the leg" if he is obedient to the driving aids.  We usually include the seat in this comment.
The bottom line is that we want our horses to respond very quickly to any driving aid but to do so with confidence.  This creates energy without tension . . .our ultimate goal.

Follow your dream

I just read a post by Ann Pustil who interviewed people who are dying,  She asked them for their thoughts and by and large most of them regretted not following their dream.
For most of us dressage types, our dream has to do with riding and achieving a certain level.  Are you there yet?
Maybe it is time to take it up a notch.  Ask yourself, "what am I waiting for?"
Go out there and ride today and try something new!
Take advantage of education which is abundandt in our area.  It is spring and time to move forward,

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Judgementalism

According to meditation teacher Sally Kempton, "whether you're judging others or yourself, it's impossible to aim negative judgments in any direction without experiencing the sharp edges of judgment within yourself."

I think this quote speaks for itself.  We've all been there.