Concentrated

[glenatron]

I'm just back from riding two consecutive clinics with Steve Halfpenny which has been an eye-opening experience. Riding with Steve always is, of course, but this time around I think I started to really get something I hadn't understood before. Something about balance and setting up the cues for direction and for life and something about expectation. Above all the message of "never pull on your horse" got taken to new and far greater depths. The important thing from all of this is that you never pull on your horse. Holding the lead ahead of them with the rope slack so they step forward? Pulling on your horse. Picking up the reins more when you don't get the response you were looking for immediately? Pulling on your horse. If you never pull on your horse, some things change which mean that everything is different. It's simple and revolutionary and unbelievably difficult and if you haven't felt it, you would be able to agree with everything I say without having the slightest idea of what I mean, which is the problem of talking about this stuff. I hope to get a clinic report written up at some point, though.


Suffice to say that Iris was magnificent, truly magnificent, and that I am unbelievably fortunate to have such a wonderful horse and such a generous teacher. It has been a very good time.