In All Seriousness ...

I am reading the April issue of Dressage Today and really connected with an article by Pam Stone.  If you get DT, the article can be found on page 18.  Stone's article is about facing, and coming to terms with, "show fear."  While I may have some butterflies when I show, that wasn't what really resonated with me.  Instead, her title, "Get in There and Ride!" really hit home. When dealing with show fear, Stone says that her trainer instructed her with these words, "Now you get in there and you ride your horse!"

I had a pretty rough day at work on Monday.  It was so tough that I called hubby while he was at work and sobbed and blubbered a bit until he suggested I go out to the barn.  Wise words from a non-horsey hubby to a horse-crazy wife.  I went to the barn, but I was feeling so bad that I didn't know if I really wanted to ride or not.  Out of nowhere I was reminded of those words: get in there and ride your horse!

With a show looming in just a few short days, I realized that more helpful words could not have been uttered.  I saddled up and FOCUSED on riding Speedy G.  I wasn't a passenger.  I kept my heels down (sort of), I rode with my seat (mostly), and concentrated on putting his body where I wanted it to be.

I've said this before ... dressage is very humbling, but it's also much more.  It's a way to create balance in our personal lives, both in our physical bodies and in our spiritual and emotional well-being.  After my ride, I felt tired in a good, take-a-deep-breath way, and my problems from the day seemed less a part of who I am.  I was feeling re-balanced.

I guess if all else fails, get in there and ride your horse!