hi, all - tonite i am exhausted. for the first time in my life, i got to ride in a dressage clinic with one of my favorite authors (see my last diary), eric herbermann.
we rode five consecutive days (sharing the hour with a good friend and her beautiful mare, peggy sue).
sani and i were in the clinic not just to "ride dressage", but we were there to find a way to help him regain strength after an injury years ago and to help him live a longer and healthier life - and for ME to live a longer and healthier life.
dressage may look easy but it is physically challenging - it entails the rider finding his/her "core" and balance on 1200 lbs of moving energy. when that energy beneath you is not physically balanced and working to regain his own strength, it makes the rider work even harder to maintain a quietness and balance so as not to interfere with the horse's attempts to carry the rider and himself.
bear with me and let me carry you over the fold for a few minutes...