Having the last lesson of the year was bittersweet. Roz is heading to Wellington next week, so we are on our own until it's time for our adventure end of January. I am freaking out a bit because the shipper seems to ignoring me. I know they are really busy going back and forth but still - I'd like some reassurance that Remy will indeed be able to get on the truck! Especially after the checks for his stall and my room were cashed. I even found a swank -and humongous- vertical rolling saddle trunk in great condition. One of the times when posting on FB paid!
Back to our lesson. After working on our own for a couple of weeks it was a good test to see if we can 'survive' on our own (aka me not messing up too much) for two months. And yes, WE CAN! Remy felt great, light, fluid, round, connected, nice big changes, then from almost half-steps to long and low (correct stretching round and over the back). Those rare and elusive times when you think you can do this and what makes you come back for more...
It so happens that I received the latest edition of a riding magazine that had an excerpt of Denny Emerson's new book "Know Better To Do Better*". The following really hit the nail on the head, both regarding Saumur and Remy.
"The first lesson is that if you ride the same horse, day after day week after week, month after month, year after year, you and that horse are going to know each other so well that despite the fact that you both have failings and insufficiencies, you trust each other well enough to begin to create something bigger and better than either one of you alone.
Next is that most of us tend to "bail out" on a horse that is hard to ride, and one that does not win easily, but if you do not bail out, the talents that may be deeply hidden within both of you may have a chance of being discovered."
Yes, I admit, I have thought quite a few times about "bailing out", Saumur with his almost insurmountable issues (how about taking eight hours to get in a trailer?), and Remy with his "horse phobia"? But then, the boys also had to put up with me during stages of my very stressful work life, when I got to the barn close to being a nervous wreck, and then expecting them to somehow relax underneath a not-so-relaxed (read: super tense) rider??
I do hope Denny is right and by not bailing out more of our talents will be discovered? The question begs, what kind of talents? We already know that Saumur and Remy are bi-lingual, so that counts!
*Denny Emerson "Know Better To Do Better: Mistakes I Made With Horses So You Don't Have To"
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