I'm back and loving the weather vibe on the island! Lessons went great today, I went out and about to roam in the sunshine a little and my theory clients actually did their homework so it was a fab day on all accounts :)
Yesterday, I'd been mostly in transit. I use travelling for thoughts and writing and here is one of the themes that lingered on my mind thousands of miles above the bridlepaths...when schooling a horse or training a rider, we aim for a successful outcome. Sometimes, it will be a straightforward one, one that is visible and immediately recognisable.
Think: more ground cover in medium trot or more stable lower leg over an oxer. Then, there are successes that somewhat layer underneath those outcomes and as such are not immediately obvious. In fact, they might even be obscured and seem further away than they were before you even started.
Think: succeeding at becoming aware of a lower leg that drifts forward over an oxer. Succeeding at building the ability for minute collection for one step prior the transition before that medium trot can get better.
Success no one sees at first. Successes that feel ugly and unrefined and raw and maybe even uncomfortable. Successes that make you feel like you are worse than you were before you attempted the refinement.
Successes that are the building blocks.
Then there are the quick ones. Using a little bit of the boot spray that creates the grip between the calf and the flap of the saddle stabilising the leg as a result.
Pushing a talented horse into exuberant stride without creating the fundamentals for shoulder lift and hind leg activity in medium trot.
Success, right?
What I am heading here at is that sometimes a success feels like a failure while we learn to navigate the steps. Sometimes, it is worth waiting so we can make sure we succeed at the right thing...
Wx
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