This became all too clear in the past week as I saw Anaiis become totally oblivious to my use of the whip in the Magic Circle. We had finished the previous week on an absolute high when she gave me the first tentative shoulder-in while lungeing her. I felt determined, clear and at the same time joyful and she reciprocated this. There was a beautiful connection, and I think it came close to the magic that Klaus keeps referring to both in his books and his clinics.
A few days later we went back to the Magic Circle, but this time the connection did not happen. Anaiis ‘tested’ my inner strength, calmness and decisiveness, which were not up to the task. Only when I went up the levels with vibrating the whip, did Anaiis reluctantly move around the track. It felt and did indeed look aweful when I watched the video later. So what went wrong? And what should I have done? I think I have started relying too much on my ‘tools’ the whip and the long rope…. Klaus says in The Horse Seeks Me (p 89) ‘You can use them [tools] to create works of art or to wreak havoc.’
How detrimental something like this can be is also clearly shown in the video clip: instead of the whip, I opt for the long rope. But again, that featherlight connection of last week is missing; understandable when you look at my body position, how I walk (note my feet walking on one track!) and the lack of calmness on my part. The result is a rather flat trot, very much on the forehand. All credit goes to my beautiful mare for being so sweet at the end of the session!
Vicki working with Anaiis
