“Aha!” I love those moments. Don’t you? When you suddenly GET IT? It’s such a rush when everything comes together and really works for the first time.

How do you create more “Aha Moments”? When Jane is riding me, they come when both sides of my brain kick in, along with the muscle memory of the new movement. And that comes with both intellectual understanding and physical practice. It happens when the left side of my brain, where logic and linear thought resides; meshes with the right side, where emotion and artistry lives, and then shows up in my physical body as the execution of perfect movement. My whole being responds to everything coming together with an exciting and satisfying “Aha!”

Learning to ride well doesn’t take good luck or exceptional talent. As the cowboys say, it just takes wet saddle blankets. In our case, it’s wet dressage pads. I learn something from Jane every time she rides me. And she learns from me too. Sometimes our progress is imperceptible, and sometimes it comes in huge Aha’s. But we only have forward progress when we actually put what we’ve intellectually learned into physical practice. And that takes commitment and work.

Continue reading Motivation from Moshi 61, by Jane Savoie →

It’s a touchy subject. It’s one I’ve avoided for a long time, because it’s going to hit some nerves. But I overheard someone tearfully share that a trainer had told her she’d become too fat to ride, so I figured it was time to break the silence.

Weight. There, I said it. Human society is incredibly obsessed with body size. How many people don’t ride or stopped riding because they think they are too fat? How many people hide their talents and abilities behind a wall of shame because of their BMI (Body Mass Index)?

When I hear people talking about weight issues, it makes me so glad I’m a horse! We are expected to have a big, round “hip” and be well fleshed. Unless you’re a racehorse, it’s perfectly okay to be plump. In fact, we are “fattened up” for halter classes and viewed as healthier when we have some meat on our bones.

Why aren’t people like that?

I hear it’s mostly because of movies, TV, and magazines. Back when food was scarce and only the rich were plump, “Rubenesque” women were all the rage. But now that food is abundant for almost all people, you’re expected to be waif thin and wrinkle free if you want to be “in.” The media perpetuates this ideal simply by glorifying the skinny and the young.

Continue reading Motivation from Moshi 59, by Jane Savoie →

Some people don’t like gray horses. Some people don’t like chestnut horses. There are even a few that don’t like us shiny black horses. Some like the quiet temperament of a quarter horse over the fiery temperament of an Arabian. Some like the excitement of riding an exuberant Trakehner better than the slower paced energy of the Friesian.

Everyone has an opinion. EVERYONE. Even your dog and your horse. So, if your goal is to please everyone, you’re setting yourself up to be very disappointed. It’s simply not possible. Each of us has a different background, a different set of values, and a different way of looking at the world. We each have our own unique “lens” through which we view and interpret what goes on around us. We all gravitate toward the folks that are more like us than different from us, but even those people you feel the most compatible with will have different perceptions and interpretations of their experiences.

So, what should you do about this? What I do is… nothing. The only work I need to do is internal, on my own acceptance of the fact that everyone is going to see things a bit differently. I generally don’t try to change anyone’s opinion unless they ask. I do my best to just let my friends and family be who they are, and allow myself to be true to who I am. For the most part, I am willing to simply agree to disagree.

Continue reading Motivation from Moshi 57, by Jane Savoie →

I’ve been dreaming of Vermont. Lots of trees, cool nights and warm days. Big fields for Indy and me to explore, and new videos to make with Jane and Rhett. I love Vermont. We’ll be heading that way soon.

I’m going to miss my friends here in Florida, but I know I’ll be back and so will they. Next fall, we’ll have new stories to share, and new goals to achieve. In the mean time, we’ll concentrate on the work at hand and know that all is well.

Change is not easy for most people and most horses. We all like predictability and security. But with change comes the opportunity for growth. When change happens, it forces us to flex our mental muscles and learn to adapt. It is a GOOD thing, even when it’s a bit uncomfortable.

Continue reading Motivation from Moshi 55, by Jane Savoie →