PrintDear Rita,
It’s Friday afternoon in Vechta, Germany, and I have just completed a most unusual activity in my daily routine—shoveling snow—which is a distant, more strenuous cousin to sweeping the aisle. All German riding instructors will, at some time or another, use the following quip when handing you a broom: “Learn riding through sweeping.” This is a quip, by the way, not a joke. Germans do not joke about learning riding.
Since I arrived in Germany in 1993, I have shoveled snow exactly four times—all of them in the last month due to the unpredictable effects of global warming. The last time I spoke proper English, “warming” was defined differently.
Since I arrived in Germany in 1993—fresh faced, eager and ready to learn from one of the great dressage masters, Willi Schultheis—I have swept the aisle more than 18,000 times.
Literally, sweeping—when performed with a proper witch’s broom in broad strokes both left and right—not only raises an impenetrable cloud of dust, but also really tones the abdominal muscles. Figuratively, any activity which involves a physical rhythm and intense concentration will help you develop a good mentality for dressage riding. So in the end, the Germans are right. Sweeping does help you learn riding.
(The verb “fegen”—to sweep—can also be converted into slang for the more intense activities of human reproduction. So an ex-pat slowly learning German in bits and pieces can find a bit of humor in the daily sweeping of the aisle. Took me years to figure that one out.)
There is, however, no humor in shoveling snow in Vechta. All sidewalks in this region are made of paving stones. Try to slide a snow shovel over those puppies with a bit of grace and rhythm. Believe me; it will not help your riding in any way, shape or form.
Clearly, shoveling snow is not my only new pursuit.
This is my first attempt at a blog. Having only recently discovered what a blog actually is from my friends on Facebook, I think I’m doing OK. These friends, many of whom know me well, overreacted a bit when I mentioned blogging for The Chronicle of the Horse. I was met with “Yo, back away from the keyboard,” and “ Proceed by disconnecting your power source.”
Let’s just say I am known to be opinionated, and my friends are always trying to look out for my career. I can be dangerous to myself and others with a keyboard. I actually studied International Relations and Diplomacy at Michigan State University in the 1980s but gave up on the diplomatic effort after graduating. I’m just not cut out for it. So now I train dressage horses for a living and generally “.…say it like it is.”
I can’t help it. I’m an Aries. A double Aries, in fact, which has something to do with ascendants or descendants (leave my relatives out of this) and is apparently why the only person to ever analyze my horoscope fainted after hearing my date and time of birth.
In any case, my zodiac sign has contributed significantly to my success in this industry. A typical Aries, I just do not give up. This tenacity has paid off time and again in the face of adversity. Listen to this:
