Imagination was given to man to compensate for what he is not, and sense of humor to console him for what he is.” (Unknown)
In an equestrian world where opinions allow very little room for knowledge and humor, this newsletter is an Island. Anyone walking on the sand of a new Isle will explore the new world and discover than in fact the Island is a peninsula leading to a better world.
In this better world, horses and riders are partners. They are not business partners, they are life partners and it is a serious business to succeed in such partnership. It is also the success in life and humor is the smoother way to face adversity and preserve kindness.
Resistance to progress is the outcome of a pathetic and misplaced ego. It condemns both the horse and the rider to live and perform below their potential. For the rider, the situation engenders frustration. For the horse, the outcome is lameness.
The first step toward progress is to "update” whatever we have been taught to actual knowledge of the equine physiology. That is the aim of this newsletter. The journey is fascinating, sometimes provocative, definitively educational, and eminently focused on the partnership between humans and equines.
Ultra conservatives should not be overly worried; fundamental principles remain unchanged. The rider is still facing the horse’s neck, the right leg naturally falling along the horse’s right side and the left leg along the horse’s left side. It is just that everything else is different.
Jean Luc Cornille
