Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride, Friendship without envy, Or beauty without vanity? Here, where grace is served with muscle And strength by gentleness confined He serves without servility; he has fought without enmity. There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent. There is nothing so quick, nothing more patient. …
Tag: equestrian
Mastery, Practice and Subtlety
The French have a saying: "Qui trop embrasse, mal etreint" which means, "he who embraces too much, has a weak grasp." What does it take to move from being a "Jack of all trades, master of none" to being a master of all trades? While there is value in have a breadth of skills and knowledge, …
The Rube Goldberg Machine
According to Wikipedia, "A Rube Goldberg machine is a deliberately over-engineered machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. If you have seen the 1968 classic "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang," you may recall the scene in which Caractacus Potts (Dick van Dyke) was cooking breakfast for his children using …
Monty Roberts, Compassionate Leadership and Principles of Horsemanship
Man's conquest of the natural world has not always been achieved through gracious and entreating means. I imagine that in times of dire necessity (such as the early pioneering days or in times of war) shortcuts are perceived as being optimal versus an approach based on compassionate leadership, but in times of plenty, can these types of methods be justified?
Cavalia – A Feast for the Senses
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 …
Kinetic Beauty in the Equestrian Arts by Gregg Hake
Oft times the simple things in life are the most notable. Plato once said, “Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity." I came across a video clip recently of the famed ecuyer Nuno de Oliveira at work on a beautiful horse that I thought would brighten your day, whether you are in the horse community or …
Continue reading Kinetic Beauty in the Equestrian Arts by Gregg Hake
The Art of Horsemanship
The semblance of proper relationship between rider and horse may be achieved through harsh demand, but it will not be sustainable as the cracks in the relationship or preparation will inevitably appear. The horse or rider will give evidence at some point of the lack of unity and of integrity, typically through the expression of tension in some form or another. In horsemanship as in all things, expediency instead of integrity brings failure.
Gregory Hake 