The Art of Natural Dressage

Hi everyone....

Do you still know me?? Its a very very long time ago..... but I'm still alive and kicking
And so is my wonderpony Sjors

I've been very very buisy. Earning some money and studying. I did an internship for 4 months, unfortuanately I couldn't move Sjors to a place closer to me so I'v been visiting him only in the weekends. During the weeks my frend used him in her privat lessons, where he teached childern the beginning of riding. Isn't he wonderfull??!

During this months I was also buisy with the preparations for my study period in Norway. But the course was cancelled so I had to make an emergency plan: what to do now with my study??? I founded a real nice course in the south of Sweden and signed up for that. I got accepted and two months later we drove to Sweden

I founded a really nice stable near to the town where I study and live, so Sjors could come with me. I'm so happy! We drove to Sweden in two days, we spended a night in Germany. Luckely we had good weather! The day after we arrived the snow came (before New Year) and the snow still isn't gone. A couple of weeks ago there was more then a meter snow. It is 105 years ago so much snow felt in this area. Lucky me! Allthough I start looking for spring now....

Sjors is doing really fine and we make a lot of rides through the hills (I think it are mountains.. our country is really flat.. ). We even saw a moose! They are really really big, maybe we see some more in the spring. They don't live in the Netherlands, so it was a great experience.

We are having a wonderfull time here. We stay here till end of June, then we return to the Netherlands, where I will work during the summer and start the next internship in september. Oh and a great result of my last internship; I didn't only learn a lot, I also met my boyfrend there. Were so in love He comes visiting me in April, I can't wait! He is used to live on the countryside and loves animals. I'm a really happy person

Here some pictures of us in Sweden. I know I won't have the time to keep a diary here, so I hope it's ok that I drop in now and then.







I stay a Dutch one... (used to bike..) but this is biking for proffesionals












and from my room its 200 m till the beach So I make a lot of walks there.


and one of the old city center


Sjors is the one at the left (on the picture)


first one of us together


snowfun!!




movies
a very lot of fun!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpRpjy19O_A

first snowride
http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/s ... ilm830.flv

galop in deep snow
http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/s ... ilm885.flv

walking with me
http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/s ... ilm886.flv

just a walk
http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/s ... lm1035.flv

deep snow
http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y278/s ... lm1034.flv

Oh, this pictures make snow look like fun!

Sweden
How wonderfull to have this chance, to have this opportunity and to have this much snow! In Holland there is always a bit to little of it, so that it is merely annoying instead of fun.
Moose (plural) are really great! And they are big (been in finland for one summer and I've seen so many... everytime they were more amazing then the time before somehow )

wonderful!

_________________
kirsten
time is what you make of it

hi...
no we dont forget you :-) beautyfull pictures. wow... i know sweden from my holidays...it is great horse riding over there.
so quite, the silence and nice roads without much traffic.
Good to hear that everthing is fine and going well.

do you ever want to go back to the Netherlands???....i think not

I remember you! And your lovely Sjors, and your very nice bridleless work! You really ARE in a winter wonderland!!! Lots of snow!

What kind of saddle is that you have??

_________________
"Ride reverently, as if each step is the axis on which the earth revolves"

I really hope to see some more during the spring, when the females have calfs. The young ones from last year leave their mums then, so the change you see one is much higher then now. People from the stable always hope they dont meet them, most horses are scared for this huge animals.

thats exactly what everybody thought before I left. Especcialy because I took Sjors with me, what would stop me from staying here? Well..., enough. I like to return to my loved family. I like to finish my study. And sinces november: I can't miss my boyfrend! I can't tell you how happy my mum was that I mett him in the Netherlands. She was very afraid that I would met a nice Swedisch boy
But I love it here and we make a lot of fun! Sometimes I have to study hard, but the rest of the times its a big vacation. Everything to worry about comes back to me in June.

Yes it is really winter wonderland.
Since about a year I have this saddle. Its a treeless spanish saddle. I could order it on ebay, so I just took the risk. It is really short (53cm), one of the only ones that fits on Sjors. Before I was riding bareback, or with my barefoot saddle. But I don't like the barefoot myself (it fits Sjors great), and for riding bareback I'm a bit to heavy in my opinion. Sometimes we make over 25km rides, not fair to do bareback. A saddle with tree gives headshaking problems to Sjors. So I just tried this one and it goes very well!! I'm so in love with this saddle. Only not with the red color..... but now I know it functions, I may be buying a black one later (when I finished my study and have some money).

Let me know what brand of saddle it is?

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"Ride reverently, as if each step is the axis on which the earth revolves"

Welcome back!

Wonderful, wonderful pictures and videos!

You're inspiring me -- my husband and I are thinking about moving from California (no snow) to an area in New York state that has LOTS of snow ( a couple of weeks ago a ski resort near where we're looking got SEVEN feet!)

I was just wondering if I'd lost my mind and saw your images of your adventures -- now I can't wait to go play in the snow with my guys.


Best,
Leigh

_________________
"Ours is the portal of hope. Come as you are." -- Rumi
www.imaginalinstitute.com

oohh not a nice blond swedish boy... i understand that you miss your family, but the beautyfull surroundings there, the silence, friendly people, nice color houses, mountains and nice horse trails that must give you a few good resons to stay
Just a joke.