Foreword

Written by Jane Kidd Well known British Dressage List 1 Judge, FEI International Judge, competitor and author. Director of International Teams & Chairman of Selection.

All can benefit from understanding more about the approach discussed in the following pages, and in these days when rollkur has done such damage to the image of dressage, at least partial adoption of the ideas is particularly valuable.

One of my favourite quotes was made by Albert Einstein who said: “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind its faithful servant. We have created a society where we honour the servant and have forgotten the gift.” For me this book respects what the great man was talking about and we have much to gain from this.

Jenny brings a fresh dimension to training, identifying and using an invisible energy force that enables connection and control of the horse with harmony. That is the forgotten gift that Einstein is talking about.

She does it in a practical manner that is easy to understand. It is backed up by testimonies from a good variety of horses and riders who are able to illustrate her approach.

Many of us have been taught to breath deeply when we are nervous, most obviously when we are about to go into the arena for a test. This helps to relax us and make us aware of our bodies that we need to use so subtly in the controlling of our horse. Jenny Rolfe goes much further than this using breathing as a directional force with amazing results.

Another feature of the book that impressed me was the emphasis on listening. In today’s hectic world goal setting has become very important and most seek to achieve them as fast as possible. Too often that key aspect of training is neglected, that the horse can teach us, and that we need to spend time listening to him before and even when we are imposing our will on him. For Jenny this is fundamental to her training.

Much of her early listening is done from the ground when the horse is loose. She demonstrates how all those aids we have come to depend on so heavily are not necessary in establishing connection and control.

For those who do not have the opportunities to become skilled or strong enough to train their dressage horses according to current fashions, and for many more who would like to enlarge and develop their current approach, this is a book that will open a door to another dynamic in dressage.

These Chapters Include:

  • BREATHE THE CONNECTION – THROUGH LOOSE WORK
  • THE PATH TO PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT
  • BREATHE INTO NATURAL POSTURE AND BALANCE
  • SUBTLE ENERGY OF CORE BREATHING
  • BREATHE HARMONY INTO COLLECTION
  • FOLLOW THE TRAIL OF HIS HOOFPRINTS