#sweden2016

This year I spent 6 months in Italy, where I got more experience with jumping and horsemanship. I didn’t feel at home there. When people ask why I left I always give them the same answer. I love how the keep all their topsport horses, and the way they treat them as topathletes. For me with a background in academic art of riding and a scientific bachelor, how you train your horses is important. And no, I don’t have a problem with how they jump their horses, those horses know what their job is without being afraid, because when you jump, the most important thing is trust. Confidence that your horse knows his job and you are capable of letting him do it. The horse trusts you that you trust him to let him do his job (Luca Moneta). It is one of the most important things I learned there. I left for another reason. Because of my background I learned a lot about biomechanics. Something that is scientific, measurable. Dressage is made to let the horse use his body better. I felt like I had to ride horses in a way that I know is not the right way. And doing something in a way that you know is not right just doesn’t feel right. Especially when you know how to do it different. It is like doing something in a bad way while you already know how to do it in a better way. So I came to make the decision not to finish my year there. 

So I had another decision in front of me. What do I do next? Do I go back to Belgium to my old life. I look for a job and next to that I go back to teaching a little and going back to the job I left behind. A job that gave me the opportunity of working with amazing talented horses, with people that bred my own horse and took care of her the past half year. Or do I keep learning? Well as all of you know, I choose the second option. I kept on travelling. So my next stop was Denmark. Where I met Maria. She gave me a home away from home. She gave me a lot of new inside. I learned more about biomechanics and academics. I got to train a lot of different breeds of horses. And my toolbox grew a lot. Denmark was just perfect. I was sad that I had to leave. And if I wouldn’t have gone to Sweden I would’ve ended up there at the end of the year. In that little piece of heaven that she owns.

So with the clinic of Noora Enhqvist in sight, I left Denmark at the end of September. After that I would stay and be the first working student of my friend Leonie. I wouldn’t focus on horses, but on myself and my development. And who better to help me than such an amazing person like Leonie. She has a thing with people, she is good at seeing right through you. So she saw me as I didn’t even see myself. I have three months behind me. Months with lots of laughter, frustration, annoyance and so much more. I learned that introverting is a verb. That it is a necessary thing to do when you are an introvert and living with people who understand the need is just awesome. And I learned that I was one. And it doesn’t mean that you can’t be outgoing. If you want to know more about it, just use the internet. Everybody knows that google knows everything. I learned a lot more about my personality type (we used the myer briggs personality guide). I saw better how I function as a person and how I do function in a group. I couldn’t have grown this much without the right help and pushes from Leonie. She is just amazing and on the road to reach an even higher level of amawingness. You are a part of my family now! Never doubt yourself even when it is hard. You are perfect just the way you are. In Sweden I met a Christmas crazy person. Mikaela. Without her, Sweden would not have been the same. I wouldn’t know how to find Orion in the sky, or wouldn’t have seen so many shooting stars (our record is 13 in a night). We wouldn’t have wondered what happens to the moon when you can’t see it. And no google for once didn’t know the answer. So still a mystery there. Mikaela was as well a perfect personality match in theory and as well as in real life. So when she left for her christmas holiday, it was hard for both of us. But we had one last perfect week together. We had our record starnight, we had a night in the shovel of the tractor in the middle of the field, we went to a restaurant, had a last time risotto together and a last time mudcake together. It was a perfect week. A good close of my time in Sweden. See you soon again Micky! Never forget that you are awesome too!

I cannot thank enough all the people who made this year so special. I might have named a few above, but there are many more. Like Tamara, who I met in Italy and I will meet again in Belgium in January. A friendship that just blossomed even though we talked more on the phone then in real life. She is as well one special one. And I missed a lot more, many special new friends. A lot of old friends still here. Friendships that grow stronger and some that got lost to distance. And an awesome end of the year to come with some real special friends. 

Happiness More or less It’s just a change in me Something in my liberty Oh my, my

Happiness Coming and going I watch you look at me watch my fever growing I know just where I am

~Lucky Man -  The Verve~

Love to all

I work mainly on me here. Something that is not easy to write about. I have the amazing guiding of Leonie. She guides you towards you without pushing or pulling but she just feels. We figured out together with Ida that I am an ISTP person. To be an introvert, was not something I thought to ever be. But it gave me good inside. It puts a lot of perspective on my life. 

Next to working on my mind and body, we also have horse lesson. The focus on the centered riding and my seat. Still a lot of space for improvement there, but with help we get there and remember how things should feel so they become a habit. After riding for 6 months in jumping saddles with to short stirrup leathers, 3 months with a bareback pad on mainly an Irish cob, riding a big warmblood with a dressage saddle is strange and awkward. But what do I just love that feeling! So yes, despite being called crazy a million times by now, my next horse will be a big, tall warmblood. Next to the riding we also work with handwork and finding my ‘flow’ in my walk. holding 4 reins at a time does not make that any easier. But slowly getting better. And then I can also train some other horses in groundwork, something I feel more confident about. This is with a lot of thanks to Maria. And I get to drive Gilda around with her wagon on my free days. Due to disappearing light, it is not possible anymore to do that after work. Yes, it is already completely dark here at 5pm.

I have had the chance to see Monika, Ida and Leonie train. As well as follow the clinics from Arne Koets, Monika and this weekend Bent Branderup. Apparently I have a thing for choosing good times to go somewhere. I also go with Leonie out to see her teach. And like this I see some other areas from Sweden then just this stable. And yes, the beach is close, but I haven’t seen it yet.

And all the work hours get easier thanks to Mikaela. Sharing is caring. Being tired together, laughing, everything is nicer when you share. She is an awesome partner!