Dressage is a delight, when it’s done right. It looks effortless and elegant. Non-horsey people love to tell you ” I could so do that, it’s easy, you just walk in a circle”, but when you try it’s simply the hardest thing in the world. Walking in a circle should be easy. It’s not. Crossing over from one side of the arena to other should be easy. It’s not. That is not to do it perfectly straight, in balance and without any random wiggles or change in rhythm.
After a winter’s break from dressage it feels daunting thinking about re-entering the area and trotting down the centre line. Neither Archie or I have ever particularly enjoyed dressage, competing as necessary for eventing and happy to train at home to improve both of us, but never truly embracing the dressage competition life. For one thing I fail totally at matchy matchy, everything we own is black. It’s just easier to hide the mud!
As it says on the tin, this is a personal blog about the journey Archie and I are taking in discovering the world of eventing. Archie is a 6 year old Irish gelding, and I am a 26 year old horse addict. I didn’t grow up in a family with horses, and Archie was the first horse I ever owned, having loaned for over 20 years. I hope that we can show other riders who perhaps don’t feel that they can achieve their dreams, that anything is possible!
