Ending the week on high notes - and what has Goethe to do with riding?

Aside from our blip on Tuesday, Remy and I had a really good week. Yesterday Roz checked him out and warmed him up before I got on and it was like riding on a cloud. OK, that sounds a bit weird, but it was one of those elusive times where things just clicked. I thought it and Remy floated into it.

Saturday is our "Joint Riding Day" - JP, Chambord, Remy, and I have a standing 'date' with Lisa, the H/J trainer. It also means getting up very early to feed to boys so they have time to digest their breakfasts. Today was one of those lovely late summer mornings, and looking at the barn in the mist I -once again- told myself how lucky I am. (Feeling even luckier after my 2nd or 3rd cup of coffee!).

Lisa does a beautiful job motivating and challenging her students while keeping it fun. JP made a lot of progress since he started riding with her. I got to see first hand how he and Chambord conquered the 'Circle of Death' exercise, and they showed us how it's done. Remy and I had so much fun, I even forgave Lisa for making me follow JP :-)!

Two that have each other's back

Reflecting on the ups and downs of riding and training made me think of a poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Freudvoll und Leidvoll":

Freudvoll

Und leidvoll,

Gedankenvoll sein;

Hangen

Und bangen

In schwebender Pein;

Himmelhoch jauchzend,

Zum Tode betrübt—

Glücklich allein

Ist die Seele, die liebt.

Full of Joy

English Translation © Richard Stokes

Full of joy,

And full of sorrow,

Full of thoughts;

Yearning

And trembling

In uncertain anguish;

Exulting to heaven,

Cast down unto death—

Happy alone

Is the soul that loves.

Translations by Richard Stokes, author of The Book of Lieder (Faber, 2005)