Why You Should Never Take Yourself Too Seriously

Sometimes we all get wrapped up in the competition and who is winning and what is going on and who is beating whom (or what horse is being put in rollkur) but I think that it's always good to take a step back and realize that we're all just there to have this great bond with our amazing animals. Okay, so... maybe not all  of us are there for that reason, but really "dressage" is training and within that training is the fluidity and movement that only comes from a pair that is is true harmony with each other. If you're up there, all nervous, or all tense, or angry because you missed that last change, then your horse can feel it. He can feel it in his back from your seat and he can feel it through your arms and hands in his neck and jaw.

I suggest that if you are having one of those days where you're taking yourself too seriously, to just step back and look into those big doe eyes that work so hard for you day in and day out, and ask yourself if it's really worth it to be so worked up. Go on a hack, take extra time brushing him or her off, take your anger out on a real super stall cleaning, but seriously folks, don't take yourself too seriously in all of this. Even Edward Gal has shit days, even the masters have totally dropped a horse at the WORST time ever and felt like a jerk. It's not worth it to get worried about and tighten your whole body up over, or take it out on your horse in some other way.

It's just dressage.

Piece of Cake

I couldn't ride yesterday or today. I've got something weird going on with migraines. I tried to go out and even got as far as the car before I realized it wasn't going to happen. The headache stopped me from being able to see very well, which means I can't drive. So, I couldn't really get out of the house and get to the barn, so I decided to bake.

Now, I LIKE to bake, but I'm not afraid to say I'm a much better rider than I am a baker. I won't be on "Ace of Cakes" any time in the near future. But, it was something to do that wouldn't give me more of a headache (theoretically, though I did screw up the icing... twice!)

I decided to make my first layered round cake, ever. And in making it I didn't just buy some in-a-can easy to use icing... nooooo... I made my own icing. Mind you, before this I think I've touched the Kitchenaid mixer all of twice. So I dove in head first and on top of deciding to make a six layered cake, thought that I would make a Swiss Meringue Buttercream icing. It invloves double boilers and not too much heat and butter that is soft but not too soft and a hell of a lot of beating.

So, I made a cake... its six layers and I don't think it would win me any huge awards unless they were for effort, but it kept me sane for the day and showed me that I could do something that I never had even closely attempted before. I've got a few photos now of the prep etc. but for some reason my phone doesn't want to send the rest of them so I'm missing three... which includes that finished cake. It's really alright though, you're not missing a lot, its a round, badly iced white cake. [edit: got them to send and inserted them. the photos are now from top to bottom the start to finish. It's supposed to be a "rainbow" cake but apparently one needs an entire bucket of color to properly color the layers.]

I'm sure it tastes damn good... with how much butter is in it! Now I know why some people who bake stuff just watch others eat it. After making this thing I don't think I want to be 50 feet from a stick of butter right now.

So, sorry for the detraction from all things that smell like horse poo and sweat. I promise once I figure out what's going on with my migraines and get a hold on them and figure out something else to write I'll be back on the correct track here. But for now... let them eat cake.