As the founding stars of the spectacular show “Cavalia,” Frederic Pignon and Magali Delgado have much to share about the equestrian arts.  I thought you might enjoy this passage from their book “Gallop to Freedom:”

“It is easy to forget what extraordinary creatures horses are.  In a way it has been their undoing that they are so adaptable…What people do not appreciate is that every time a horse submits to pressure, whether subtle or overt, he is diminished.  Probably the great majority of people who achieve their own ends by making their horse submit are not even aware of what they have done.  It is a sad fact that a horse can be made to do many things by breaking his will.  If he can be persuaded to give his assent freely and pleasurably rather than give into man’s pressure or clever techniques, he is not diminished.

To most people there is no distinction between these alternatives: two horses do a perfect volte or piaffe.  To the untrained eye they look the same but one horse has been brought to this point of excellence by rigorous conventional and repetitive training producing stress and tension, of which the trainer may not even be aware.  The other horse has arrived at the same degree of excellence as result of pleasurable work interspersed with games and never pushed beyond endurance or even beyond what he is prepared to freely give.”

More words to live by!  If you haven’t seen the show, Cavalia, you really are missing something special.  The result of such training is poetic, further evidence of that elusive quality called “kinetic beauty.”  Enjoy… 

As with most things in life, the video reproduction pales when compared to the live show.  What does shine through, however, is the ease and pleasure both horse and rider exhibit, regardless of the difficulty of the act.  This cannot be faked, for shortcuts in training inevitably result in tension of one form or another that cannot be completely hidden.

Take care that nothing in your sphere of influence is diminished this weekend.  Neither force nor demand anything, yet be alert to the opportunities for growth, development and pleasure.  Most spend their days busily arranging their circumstances in an effort to squeeze some life or joy out of them, but you have the opportunity – should you be so bold as to accept it – to infuse a healthy dose of joie de vivre in your life, exactly as it is configured now.

Do so and see what blossoms around you, my friends.