Dream A LIttle Dream.......

No, the photo to the left is not Jordi and I but rather Sue Kolstad and Fruelich,a horse she brought from nothing (well actually he was Always something) to a Grand Prix winner.  Why is her picture on my blog? Because when I dream my little dressage dream, she is what I aspire to.  And for a brief time last night- the dream came true.

Like me, Sue is "no spring chicken", and she has a neck worse than mine (although I never thought that truly possible!)  Yet she rides with a grace and understanding of the horse, its bio mechanics, and an awareness of her own body that is astounding.  That is what I want to have and be! And Jordi and I are working feverishly upon it.

For the last few weeks I have religiously taken myself and my equine partner back to the most fundamental of basics.  I have walked him at different tempos, feeling with my seat the lifting and placement of each respective foot fall in an attempt to fully understand how to influence the hind end.  I have undertaken to re-teach my now battered body the art of the sitting trot.  For days I have felt like such things were totally unobtainable for me...and then came last night!

Somehow, the Dressage gods have heard my feeble pleas-and have answered.  After our usual warm up, Jordan became inspired- fine tuned to my every movement.  In sitting trot, Jordi and I danced across the indoor, leg yielding left, then right, then left...a passe doable of communication with the fierceness of the tango! For this night at least, we were true dance partners.  I could feel Jordi's elegance and the pleasure he was taking in his own movements- in listening to me and responding.  His pleasure in being one with me-  feeding off of my pleasure at being one with him.  This is what dressage really is! Even at only a simple yet properly executed leg yield exercise, I have experienced what Sue has experienced at the highest levels and described to me so many times- the art of communication with a species other than your own. What a wonder!.

Last night, I prepared to sleep wonderfully- tired and yet still excited at the prospect of achieving a dream.  As I thought about the evening with Jordi I had to wonder --how will he sleep tonight?  Will his dreams of Rolex be replaced by dreams of Devon?  Will they be as wonderful as mine?........