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Stories & Inspiration

Honoring My Mentors – #3 Classical Dressage

by | Feb 18, 2022

Here are the mentors who inspired my love for the beautiful dance that dressage can be. And by dressage, I do not mean that you need a dressage saddle and polished tall boots. I mean dressage in the sense of connecting your body to your horse’s body, finding a subtle connection, and improving the rider’s and the horse’s balance step by step, so that the movements can become more complex.

So, you might ride in a Western saddle on a trail and still resonate with the principles I learned from my dedicated teachers, mainly Claus Meiners, Philippe Karl, and my instructors at the Neustadt Equestrian Center:

 

  1. You do not have to reinvent the wheel! A lot of great knowledge has been developed through centuries that you can learn from.
  2. At the same time (and this does not contradict point 1): Be ready to do things differently, and try new ways! Be creative and inventive.
  3. When things are not working: stop and think! – What could be a better way?
  4. Thrive for balance, ease, and beauty.
  5. At the same time: It will not be perfect. 100% harmony and balance are not achievable. There will always be moments that are not great. Learn from them and move on.
  6. You can always work on yourself and improve. Keep learning!