Kristin & Orion

“We can only learn from one another when we treat each other openly and with respect!”

Dressage can be compared to ballroom dancing. Similar to a dancing, every riding lesson and every exercise should be unique and new. There is not one moment in riding that can be exactly the same. Rider and horse are not always in the same mood. They encounter each other again and again at different points and it is always about finding the same rhythm. However, it doesn’t always happen that rider and horse find the same rhythm. Internal and external factors play important roles. It makes a difference whether both are relaxed or stressed, or in a known or unknown environment. Most importantly though, it has to do with the partnership between human and animal.

Whether riding or just being around a horse, human and horse should always maintain a dialogue. Successful communication requires rider’s experience and routine, wisdom and cleverness, empathy, inner peace and patience, good reactions, discipline, courage, persistence and consistency.

Riding is about cooperation. The rider doesn’t just mold the horse, the horse also molds the rider. Those interactions with horses are very meaningful to many riders. For me as a rider and trainer, it is an unbelievably beautiful feeling when human and horse find themselves in mental and physical balance and harmony with one another. Whether we have a friendly or professional relationship with a horse, they deserve that we value them and respect their personality.

The horse is neither a piece of sports equipment nor a substitute for a family member or a partner. It is an independent living being with species-specific needs and behavior.