"eHt is EWH zat stOOps zee'orse from WOOK.inGah."

Tonight while riding, all at one time I got a huge cramp in my side, my mouth was like sand was in it, I couldn't breathe with the humidity, so I stopped trotting. The FrenchMan was telling me to "sit the trot". I was walking.

The FrenchMan is the owner of PRA. His accent is very thick, so much that a lady who worked for him thought that the name of the arena was "the carolina"- he was actually saying "the covered arena". It's so funny and true!

As I circled around to his chair in the arena entry he asked me "CRiidsstEEn why you go on da walk weHn I say go on sihhtg trOt?"
"I need a break." I said. (I can NOW go until the last ten minutes of his lessons without having to constantly re-organize and find my stirrups!) sometimes I just need to walk, damn, my legs are shaking- muscles are screamin here, FM....
"WHhhhaht do you say?" he replied.
So I said again, " I need a rest, I've got a cramp!"

"zaT is NoHt my PROB LEhmn." he said shaking his head at me and added "zee'orse is WOOK.inGah. eHt is EWH zat stOOps zee'orse from WOOK.inGah."

When he said that I just started laughing. Laughing because I was so excited to know at that second that he is going to push me. He's going to make me trot longer, work harder and motivate me. I thought, "He wants me to be a GREAT rider.EEE! a DRESSAGE rider!" then I almost cried.

Those things help me even when I'm on the ground or in my car, or at work. Years ago when I first rode with him, his attitude made me a wee bit frightened (sometimes). Now after all these years with time in the saddle I'm excited for it. I want to do Half Passes and Pirouettes and PASSAGE!! OMG PASSAGE! (it might look cheesy to you non-horse people but you have no idea what is going on there, it's MAGNIFICENT, trust me. Horses don't JUST SKIP ACROSS THE PASTURES)

After the lesson, he told me that it was a good lesson, and that I am on my way to truly becoming good for dressage. I do not lie. It made me a little worried about if what I was thinking was true...then he said that I should also be honored and privileged to use his saddle again. "whew." I cried a little and thanked him. "See ya on Saturday!"

I have so much respect for that guy. He's truly one of my heroes. He IS Dressage. I am honored to be training under him. He's even giving me private lessons, and whenever he answers his phone which is not too often it gives me time WALK a second at least.

*Dressage is the discipline of riding that is my passion. It is a very refined riding style supposed to look like dancing with your horse. It is very healthy for horses, a sort of yoga meditation exercise for them. It's very intense. I think it's kind of like Karate, you know how Karate is more of a "study" than a hobby?
Here, read it for yourself! shit, wikipedia crashes my browser. sorry.