Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Lead Up

My barn buddy Lisa recently made a comment about how she wished all horses could be brought along kindly and by generous owners, and I wholeheartedly share that wish.
When I was in the throes of searching for a suitable FEI horse, there were many spectacular moments on Rijkens' sales videos: canter pirouettes, sweeping trot and canter half pass, piaffe, passage that were fancy and flashy and made me want to see more.  But the following is an excerpt from his sales video that made me almost certain, even before I ever visited Rijkens in Michigan and rode him for three days, that I wanted to know him.  In this short clip witness Rijkens' first trainer (and breeder, and his first owner's best friend) school Rijkens' earliest attempts at the two tempis.  No, it isn't perfect and he struggles a bit.  What captured me is that Cheryl gives a big accolade for effort and "makes much" of her horse for really trying.  Oh-- and all in a plain snaffle.  Yes, that was the moment I realized this horse was for me.

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