In canter, I scribe Lazy loops in the sky One two three One two three One two three Fly. Downward I ask From canter to trot Ground center grow Breathe in breathe out Trot. In trot, I draw Rolling waves in the air One two One two One two In pairs. Downward I ask From …
Tag: horse riding
In the Saddle, In the World
"No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle." - Winston Churchill The greatest challenge is not in learning lessons, but in applying them in as many other areas of your life as you can in the few precious years you have on earth. Some of my most important lessons have come …
Humility and Mastery
Last evening I had the pleasure of attending a wonderful surprise 60th birthday party hosted by friends of mine in honor of a man who is deeply loved and respected by his friends and whose life has been shaped by his evolving relationship with the most tenderhearted of nature's creatures, horses. It's rare these days …
Subtler Ways
Subtler Ways by Gregg Hake I asked my steed to lift me high, "Collect yourself, give it a try!" He weaved and bobbed and said "I shan't" I bid him more, he said "I can't." So once again another day We exercised in subtler ways. And once the balances were set To my delight he …
It’s the principle of the matter
Mountain biking is an incredible sport. It is physically, mentally and emotionally demanding and I love every minute of it. Best of all, it's something you can do with friends. It is a highly technical sport, demanding balance, strength, agility, alertness and cardiovascular fitness. It is also a highly artistic sport, requiring finesse, creativity and …
A Probing Analysis
"Indeed the development of one's riding skill lies not so much in knowing the answers as in understanding the questions." - William Steinkraus I once heard it said that if you can form the right question, you can find the true answer. It sounds straightforward but putting it into practice requires a certain perspective vision …
Give yourself a chance!
Thanks to a generous new acquaintance, I've just started reading Lt. Col. A.L. D'Endrödy's classic work on the training of horse and rider "Give Your Horse a Chance." D'Endrödy explains in the introduction that "I drafted the first outline of my book while in captivity at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains, on the shores …
Ask, Receive, Give
"Remember, the conversation between you and your horse must never be dull or inert. It should be, 'Ask, receive, give. Ask, receive, give.' Ask with your body and legs; receive through your body into your hands; give primarily with the hands, but also with your body and legs, so that you can ask all over …
Praise or Persecution
In the face of persecution, you have two options. You can either assume the role of the victim and be overcome by the attack or you can use the energy focused against you to move you closer to your goal. There is only one energy. There is no "good energy" or "bad energy." Energy can …
Gregory Hake 