“In all the things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“The secret in riding is to do only a few things but to do them right.”
Nuno Oliveira
What is the key to simplicity? Awareness.
Simplicity and awareness go hand in hand. You get to the essentials, the only things that matter. There is a confidence in that. For you and your horse.
If you are aware, you can see the heart of the matter. The foundation becomes clear.
Just like in a house. You could look at a house and see many things. The porch design. The décor. The color of the shutters. The size of the bathrooms.
But unless you’re aware, you might miss the key issue. What is the foundation of the house like? Is it solid and structurally stable? Nothing else matters. The colors, the porch design, the bathrooms – these are all irrelevant without a good foundation.
Here’s the thing. You can spend lots of time creating the perfect kitchen. Gorgeous countertops. The best appliances. Expensive dishware. But if the foundation of the house isn’t right, a pretty kitchen won’t help at all. Eventually, the foundation will crumble. The best kitchen in the world can’t hold up a weak foundation.
The weakness in the foundation will always emerge – and completely overshadow the gorgeous saddle and championship ribbons.
The same is true with horses. You can spend a great deal of time and money working on things that seem important. The perfect tack. The flashiest dressage move. The most exclusive supplements. Riding at the top shows or clinics.
But if your horse has gaps in his foundation, none of the above items will matter for long. The weakness in the foundation will always emerge – and completely overshadow the gorgeous saddle and championship ribbons.
It’s best to focus on the foundation first. Everything else will fall into place after that.
It’s simple (but definitely not easy).
If you’d to learn how to build awareness with your horse, please check out my coaching services. I’d love to help you reach your horsemanship goals for 2020!