Home Current News News Archive Shop/Advertise Ridecamp Classified Events Learn/AERC
Endurance.Net Home Ridecamp Archives
ridecamp@endurance.net
[Archives Index]   [Date Index]   [Thread Index]   [Author Index]   [Subject Index]

[Fwd: [RC] ATHLETE defined] - Jim Holland

And THIS, ladies and gentlemen, is what it's all about, expressed with a
literary skill far beyond my mundane scribblings.

If this is not your ultimate goal in Endurance, or ANY Equine
discipline, you missed the best part. Some indications that the bond or
"merger" has occurred, from both perspectives:

The soft nicker of welcome when you go down to the barn.

The big brown eyes filled with interest and anticipation.

The extended nose and wiggle of lip on your face in a gentle "kiss" of
welcome.

The warm horse smell that gives you peace when you stick your nose in
his mane.

When you go sit out in the pasture, the way he comes over, hangs his
head over your shoulder and dozes off with his warm, sweet breath on
your neck.

The sighs of contentment when you scratch all the "good spots", brush
his coat, or rub his legs and the soft nuzzle as he "grooms you" in
reciprocation.

The leaving of his "herd", no matter how large, to come to you.

The willingness to defer to you in all things.

The way he "reads" you when you simply "think" what you want.

The way that you instinctively know when he's tired or in pain.

The tremble of excitement you can feel in his body at the start of
competition.

The willingness to give to you, not only his all, but EVERYTHING without
qualification.

Jim, Sun of Dimanche, and Mahada Magic

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [RC]   ATHLETE defined
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 2003 14:52:01 -0800
From: Roberta Jo Lieberman <kindredspiritrjl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: kindredspiritrjl@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jim wrote:
Sunny and I are a TEAM...we take care of each other.<

And _that_, in my opinion, is what makes the difference. No equestrian
excellence, no thing of beauty astride, can be achieved in any
discipline
without the Centaur-like merging of human and horse. What this involves
goes
beyond the individual attributes of athleticism. It's the neuro-muscular
merging
of the two so that the lines between the nervous systems --  the shared
reflexes
and unified centers of gravity --  are all but indistinguishable.

As author and equine historian Bjarke Rink has written:

"Homo-caballus denotes the combination of a human and an equine who are
able to
achieve complete emotional understanding and connect all of their
neurophysiological resources into one galloping unit. The creature
resulting
from this merger is capable of doing whatever he or she has decided to
do, with
the total cooperation of his or her other self. But if you are ever in
doubt
whether the combination in the ring is a real Homo-Caballus, pin your
attention
on the horse -- in high performance equitation one fact stands out like
greenbacks strewn on the pavement: caballus is actually enjoying the
performance, and the two partners have an edge on the rest of the pack.
And
after the performance, caballus may be breathing hard but is otherwise
calm and
elated by his own success."

Regards,
Bobbie&Perle
Escondido, Calif.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=