Fabian and I went for the left direct rein today. Clearly it was not easy, but he did go for it. Untacking him, he was calm and composed. "I can't do what you want (yet)", he said, "but finally I understand you."
In the field he took off and I was quick to notice an unevenness in his steps.
I followed him in the cool field at the end of an excruciatingly hot day and we raised for a dance. He and I knew. Time and again he came back for another brief treatment of his left side and hind leg. Time and again he took off for a release in canters and quick turns. It was like a game, a cheerful play. And more than that. A step towards my goal to get and stay in touch with the horse's sacred innermost being.
All day long I have been thinking about tact and its meaning in equitation.
A few days ago I found in the front and back pages of J.-C. Racinet, "François Baucher - Enfant Terrible or Genius?" the following entry.
"Fabian and Zola were four years old then, and both like a book sealed with seven seals. This American rider (i.e. a Racinet student) spoke of methods and conventions, of cantering backwards and flexions. All I wanted to do, is to ride these horses of my own breeding. So I went ahead, dumped it all and started from scratch.
In 2001 I began a systematic research of the physiology of equitation. Four years later I finally was able to ride Fabian. One of this American rider's remarks had challenged me. Looking at him during her visit in 1998 she said, "I guess this will be a horse for me". In the sense of, "You will never be able to ride this horse." And that - after all - I wanted to know. When, in the spring of 2005, he cantered up to me and rearing erwies mir seine Referenz I no longer believed it possible.
Much in my approach speaks to the content of Racinet's book. And yet, it came about as a result of observing horses in liberty, of a study in science and ... accepting limits of doabilites ...
