back to (riding) school

Gorgeous horse, gorgeous tack. Don't you just want to leap up there and go for a spin? That mirror would be pretty handy too if, like me, you're working on getting the most effective riding position.

Yes, I finally took a riding lesson after what seems a lifetime away (on baby duty). Tystar is a lovely schoolmaster, so gentlemanly. My human teacher, Susie, is studying at the School of Lightness (doesn't that sound wonderful?). And, yes, the method is very light. I'm always surprised by how different my position is to what I would like it to be. My back is quite arched and my legs further forward than I realise. Having said that, my back is naturally arched so I do need to be realistic here. Having my legs a little more under me would be quite achievable though and I think it would improve my effectiveness. Comments are welcome. So looking forward to my next lesson. But with my constant nine-month-old companion I'm considering that watching a few might be a good option!

Do you believe in the concept of synchronicity? I'm never sure but it's really pretty remarkable that Susie is teaching so close to me, one of the few teachers available with a schoolmaster, as one of the first clips I ever saved from youtube was the one below. Just breathtaking. And guess who? I watched it often for inspiration and to remind myself of what can be achieved in the human / horse relationship. 

Susie Walker

The School of Lightness

courage

Recently my husband blogged on courage - inspired by Jelena Dokic’s return to tennis after the break-up of her family and a battle with depression. I never really thought much about every day courage, but it’s something I’ve begun to relate to both in my horse riding and my drawings (I am often feeling the need of it!).

One of the great gifts that horses give people (especially women, who may not otherwise be supported in this area) is the opportunity to build courage. From a beginner taking their first canter to the Olympian rider flying over a 1.60 metre jump, horse riding requires bravery with each new step. As with many things, we soon find that the act we feared is not so alarming after all!

Courage is something all horse riders are familiar with – perhaps because we often feel that we are lacking it. It seems that riders often focus on being afraid of something, but don’t stop to really congratulate ourselves when we go ahead and do it anyway. Of course this is true for non-riders too! It’s something that I’ve started thinking about more carefully when I ride.

After thinking about physical courage, it may be surprising to consider courage in the context of art. Art, as an expression of your deepest beliefs and feelings, requires vulnerability. It seems like those who open themselves to physical risk, are not always comfortable being vulnerable to the psychological risks of creative expression. This can be a really alarming thing. How many people have artworks that they destroy for fear of other’s judgment, or novels hidden in draws that are never shared?

A friend recently spoke about the challenge of teaching young musicians to improvise. Exposing yourself creatively is scary at first but – like a first canter on a horse – it often turns out far better than you expect (exhilirating actually!).

Courage begins with small steps. Here is a list of three small acts of courage I have achieved in my artwork that may not seem at all significant to others, but are certainly significant to me!

1.Using deep blues rather than blacks (a matter of choice. I used to really get into the black, but now I rarely use it at all in my coloured paintings)
2. Attending life-drawing sessions surrounded by professional (and often opinionated) artists.
3. Regularly sharing my work with others.

One of the benefits of living with a life coach, is being reminded that on the other side of fear is courage!

I’d love to hear what others think about physical and artistic courage. Please take a moment to leave your thoughts.

James’ post is at:

http://beyondthecall.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/courage/