Tuesday Morning Feed from Dubarry

Good morning, Horse Nation! Hope the sun is shining and the birds are singing wherever you are.

I was thinking yesterday about some of the activities people do to “center” themselves–you know, to reconnect with that pure, still, quiet place within their bodies and their minds. Some practice yoga or meditate. Others work in their gardens or take long hikes in the woods. Still others feel most whole through prayer. If you’re reading this right now, you’re probably also familiar with the feeling of finding that portal on the back of a horse.

To be truly engaged in the experience of riding, you have to let go of all the clutter in your mind. You’ve got to put away the to-do list and the stress and the baggage and surrender yourself completely to the present moment. You have to bring your self into focus and participate fully in the pursuit of balance and harmony with your horse. Riding isn’t just a physically and cognitively demanding activity–it’s a spiritual one as well. The riding arena is more than a sandbox; it’s a practice space for real life.

My homework for you today: Consider the function of concepts like rhythm, geometry, balance, straightness, impulsion, relaxation, contact, forward motion as they apply to your everyday life. In what areas are you excelling? Where do you have room to improve?

Go Riding.

Photo: HN