Namaste is a Sanskrit word -which means it’s very old. Most translate it to some version of “The spirit in me respects the spirit in you.” There is so much in a name. Namaste is also an easy-on-the-eyes, young, Friesian-Arab gelding with a big dressage heart. I have known him for about 5 years and … Read more
The foundation of Dressage for the rider/horse is rhythm. I define that as a balanced combination of relaxation and forward. It sounds deceptively simple. A rider/horse can not sacrifice forward for relaxation, or relaxation for forward. The art of riding is in negotiating the balance of the two in both the rider and the horse. … Read more
Sometimes our personality isn’t the best match for where our horse is at the moment -but acting the part of a confident rider might reveal a path from being the Odd Couple to Fred and Ginger in Shall We Dance?
… and Grace gives herself a promotion. Dressage borrows lots of language from ballet -after all, we are the dancers of the horse world. Pas de Trois is a dance of three. I have commandeered that phrase to describe riding lessons as a conversational dance between horse, rider and instructor. All three participants have to … Read more
Between the Lines The weekly photo challenge this week: Lines. When I started this challenge through Wordpress, I gave myself some parameters. All photos had to be with my phone and related to my life at Infinity Farm. Who would imagine that so many of the idea prompts would be equine related?? The most challenging … Read more
Dear Drama Queen, I understand getting upset. You have so much passion and desire for riding. I know how much you want to do the very best job. Sometimes the world seems to conspire against you; it’s like every bad thing happens to you and none of it is your fault. No one else has … Read more
It’s generally considered good manners in the barn to graciously take the blame anytime your horse is less than spectacular, and give your horse all the credit after a good ride. But it is more than manners, it is also a rider’s responsibility. Alois Podhajsky said it bluntly, “. . . I should like to … Read more
The head of the herd at Infinity Farm is the kind of horse you might call Grandfather- with reverence. He was a flashy something in his day; what he lacked in confidence he made up for with bravado. We made a pair and a quarter century later, we have both softened and matured with age. … Read more
I’ve traveled in all directions in the last few months- looking at potential lesson horses. I want to rescue the skinny ones. I try to guess how much retraining will be needed for others. The right horse needs to be not too old or too tall. There is a temperament I am looking for; tolerant, … Read more
Woody Allen says, “I am at two with nature.” That pretty much describes how I feel about technology. Embracing the tech world for me is like enjoying a violent allergy attack. Translating tech for dressage queens; is there an app for that?