The Last Ride

I saw a pin reading "Please God let me never know when is my last ride". It resonated as I recalled the joy of my last training session with Emile Faurie in January when Caviera Bedding visited to take photos behind the scenes. It was a memorable session with Jack and I wearing borrowed tack and taking a little time to adjust. The tension was largely mine and as we warmed up the familiar routine and exercises allowed me to focus on the quality of the work Jack and I were producing and to delight in the feeling of connection that Emile had taught me to recognise and develop over the past year. 

There was a moment when suddenly the top end of the school appeared caught in a wave and a noisy ripple of sound and a shaking mirror rolled towards us. I thought a large plane must have appeared in our sky overhead and turned in confusion to Emile, Jack and I had frozen for a moment not knowing which way to turn. In the moment before Jack might have bolted Emile said relax and ride forwards (always forwards!) and Jack responded to my mind before I had put my leg on and was responsive to my next half halt allowing us to resume our rhythm and continue with the exercise. I was delighted and the scary moment passed. I did not think about it until later when I heard of the earthquake activity and remembered that it had felt similar to tremors in New Zealand. That moment really sums up for me what it is to ride in the moment, to move on to the next job and to be at one with your horse. Encouraging and maintaining a connection not only for safety and sanity but for the sheer joy of feeling the paces become expressive and adaptable. It is a feeling of security, of time dilation to steel the cliche it's a harmonious partnership. That sense of working harder than you thought possible to do very little and to share each footfall. Words fail me to describe such a partnership and explain how I reached that level of dressage except to say that Emile gave me the gift of understanding Jack that celebrated and built on the years we had spent learning about dressage together.