Getting Your Masters

In order to master riding a horse, you must be able to master yourself.  You'll hear my dad say, "How do you expect to tell the horse what to do when you can't even do it yourself?"  In dressage we ask our horse to do to the left what it can do on the right, to be flexible and supple, to be athletic and have stamina, to be straight and even, to have concentration and focus.  Do you possess those qualities?  Do you strive to be all those things?

The first step is self-awareness.  Be conscious of what your body is doing, isolate body parts to work them on their own and then in conjunction with others, and check your position.  Do exercises that will strengthen your weaknesses both on and off the horse.  If riding a couple of times a week is your idea of fitness, you won't keep up with your horse.  Incorporate activities throughout the day to get strong, be limber, and centered.  Follow my dad's example:  try hanging upside down from your feet, lifting yourself perpendicular to a tree trunk, and doing handstands.  He's 68 years-old--I'm sure you can manage. 

"If you want nothing, you already have it." - Frank Grelo