Many of you, particularly my roommates in 304, will remember my struggles with my honors thesis on the history of the economic relationship between the European Union and Mercusor during my senior year at Lafayette College. Despite my other academic successes over the previous four years, I was challenged by the process of attempting to make my own original contribution to the field. I spent much of the year stressed about digesting information and generating my own ideas, solutions, and policy recommendations.
Much to my dismay, I found myself in a similar situation a year later while preparing Beaufort to go Advanced. I was fortunate to be training full-time with some of the best riders in the country, including Bonnie Mosser, Dorothy Crowell, and David and Karen O'Connor. I remember vividly the moment that I realized that there I was exposed to decades of experience, differing "theories" or "methods," trying to synthesize their lessons to develop my own thesis of the time: Beaufort.
This realization reaffirmed my commitment to the community of learners in my sport: people devoting their lives to understanding, teaching, and communicating with horses. My annual trips South are designed to further my study of horsemanship and riding.
Yesterday was my first day of serious training in Aiken. My morning began with a dressage lesson with Mara Dean, who is particularly gifted with her dressage. Mara began helping me with Rufus last summer. Much of our lesson focused on the elusive concept of the half halt, an idea we use constantly and yet are always striving to define, practice, and perfect. Once of the most exciting (and sometimes frustrating!) things about this sport is that we are never done learning and improving. We're still addressing some of Rufus' physical problems, and Mara gave me some useful exercises for strengthening and suppling him.
The afternoon brought two jumping lessons from our farm host Sally Cousins. Sally is known as one of our sport's most natural jumper riders. Bumbleberry sailed around like an old pro, despite his relative inexperience. He exudes confidence in himself, and his abilities to control his body and process information amaze me. Pete, though older, is working on some of the finer points of controlling his footwork over fences. It is fun to watch him put together the pieces from the lesson with his already strong canter. I know he is only going to continue to get better. Sally excels at working with idiosyncratic horses, and she gave me some new ideas for explaining things to Pete. Sally had some useful pointers for me about how to use my stirrups to improve my balance and about how to control my body with my core. Both horses finished their lessons jumping better and better.
While I am here to improve each of these horses, I am also in Aiken to continue to educate myself. I am very lucky to be a part of this community of learners, pushing myself to try new ideas and to think about things in new ways as I strive to solve the puzzle, develop the techniques, and "write the thesis" of each of these horse's careers. The process is no longer filled with stress but rather with enthusiasm and optimism and inspiration for what's yet to come.
PS - My friend Ayla Turnquist took nearly 380 pictures from my jumping lessons yesterday. I've spent a few hours trying to get them to upload without success. I will try again after riding this afternoon!
