Sensitive

Horses are sensitive by nature. Should dressage then be as sensitive?. I’m talking not about the actual riding but about the sport, the guidelines that keep us on track. Should they be so sensitive that we bend them to our will?. Surely because horses are sensitive we should be full of courage at how insensitive the rules of riding are! We could take courage knowing we can and should do better.

The current climate of dressage makes us the wrong kind of rigid, stuck in a frozen space. Too nervous to examine truthfully, staying shallow and surface level in looking at what we’re doing with our horses. Afraid to be blunt with the truth, blunt with the thought of what we add to them. Learning how can often make us fragile. Leaving us insensitive to exploring outside that surface level, considering thoughtfully what we’re doing all the while making ourselves less able to cope with bad news. Could it be the bad news pulls us back on track. Back to where we put the horse first, what’s wholesome, not just what is fun, what’s easy. Are we nervous at the current climate of competition, nervous at dashing a client or owners hopes, nervous of getting it wrong. More often it’s nerves at considering that what we’re doing is a serious thing, something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

How do we empower riders, owners and supporters even to be both sensitive and insensitive? Strong and willful in the right way. Soft and kind in the moments where it’s needed. Willing to stick their ground when it comes to theatrics of riding, and malleable when it comes to the application. There’s too much movability when it comes to the end goal, the result supersedes the journey too often. Could we help riders be better at being uncomfortable and know that discomfort is a place to yearn for if we want the horse to be at the front of each decision. Whats going wrong most, what bad thing will tip the tide in the right direction, not what good thing will help mask what we’re doing and made us feel comfortable.