Charles de Kunffy: Dressage, Jumping and Riding Horses

In the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Topline Ink, THE ATHLETE, Charles de Kunffy writes a featured article titled “Athletic Horse and Rider.” This article shows photos of horse and rider (Charles de Kunffy) jumping various cross-country fences extremely well. It is clear that horse and rider are bold, confident and well-trained! My favorite part of this piece is when he shares with the reader about how puzzled he was when he came to the United States and Dressage riders were separate entities! This was not so from his training and point of view, as dressage was simply the basics. There was only “good” or “bad” riding, regardless of riding discipline. I love this article! And I know you will love reading this article as well in the current issue of Topline Ink.

Now I’d like to announce another treat, for the rider, from Charles de Kunffy. He has a NEW fan Facebook page where you can see additional photos of him jumping. You will not want to miss this! With the chilly temperatures these months, think about having your warm cup of tea, coffee or cocoa and spending some time with Mr. Charles de Kunffy this winter – it’s a VERY good thing for horse and rider! (Click here to join Charles de Kunffy at Facebook.)

Dressage, Life and Learning

I’ve made a few recent discoveries I’d like to share. My first discovery is that “Life is like Dressage” – the more you learn, the more you realize how little you know. I suppose this is what keeps us humble and seeking new wisdom and truths. It is said that “true” teachers have the ability to learn from their students. This is because “true” teachers are always learning.

My second discovery deals with outlook and perspective. I think that the way that one view’s the process of learning impacts the ability to learn and progress forward. The process of learning is fascinating to me. Years ago, I particularly enjoyed reading “My Horses, My Teachers” by Alois Podhajsky because of his humility and respect, not just toward horses, but even more importantly toward the whole process of his learning. Everything and every horse was a lesson. The book “Klaus Balkenhol: The Man and His Training Methods” By Britta Schoffman also addresses this well and so do many other good books that combine training and life history. What I noticed was that EVERY horse, trainer and circumstance was a learning experience! The books did not gloss over or omit the unfortunate circumstances or even the mistakes made – they reflected on these incidences as something learned. Sometimes it was a lesson in their determination or a strengthening of character.

The admirable quality they showed was that although some circumstances or events may be unfortunate and we may have been tempted to labeled bad or without worth, these men walked away undeterred and with something learned. The inspiration in these books comes from the fact that nothing stopped their learning process. So I’d like to sum up my little musing with my new quote “To be in love with dressage is really to be in love learning.”

What do you think?

Harmony and Classical Dressage

In my opinion, the word Harmony is a synonym with the term and meaning of Classical Dressage.  Why? It is because harmony is the root and foundation of Classical Dressage.  You’ll quickly notice that in every Classical Dressage book, magazine, article and every lesson with a true Classical Dressage master that harmony is a focus point and theme throughout training and riding. Harmony in the horse, harmony in the rider, and of course, harmony in the horse and rider. 

 Some of the true synonyms for Harmony are balance, symmetry, unity and coherence. All beautiful expressions of what Classical Dressage should be.