As seen in The Chronicle of the Horse. Written by Eliza Sydnor Romm. Illustration by Susan DiFelice.
“You look like you’re knitting a sweater!”
Pretty sure in riding (especially dressage) that is one harsh insult, intended to invoke the image of someone who is overly busy—hands pulling left, right, left, right. It’s certainly not something we want.
But as a rider, you do need to be creative with the contact, to communicate something to your horse. When I was a teenager, I had the wonderful opportunity to be a working student for Lilo Fore. I thought “good hands” meant hands that were perfectly still, doing absolutely nothing. So I strived every day to have a perfect, unmoving position. My hands were held with fist closed, thumb on top, fist width apart—perfect, right? Except they were stiff as a board, unfeeling, and doing nothing except going against the horse at times. Lilo tried and tried to explain to me what she wanted. And one day, completely exasperated, she yelled at top volume from the other end of the arena in her strong German accent, “Eliza!!! ‘Good hands’ doesn’t mean you do nothing! You must use your hands!”
But I thought we weren’t supposed to use our hands? Only ride from the seat and leg, right? Well …
Dressage trainer Eliza Sydnor Romm and professional artist Susan DiFelice were first introduced decades ago, when Sydnor’s family hired DiFelice to paint a portrait of her horse. Some 20 years later collaborated on a dressage training video for DiFelice’s website Allpony. In this new “Drawn To Dressage” blog series, we will be sharing their most recent collaboration, which combines their talents and shared passion for education and horsemanship to share illustrated dressage training tips.
Expect the Wrench: Goal Setting and Planning in Dressage’s Unexpected Hurdles
In the world of dressage, setting goals can often feel like navigating a winding road filled with surprises. In this insightful blog post, author Sally O’Dwyer shares valuable strategies to help riders embrace the journey, illustrated by Susan DiFelice. O’Dwyer emphasizes the importance of allowing extra time for achieving skills, encouraging a long-term perspective that treats each challenge as a vital part of your equestrian narrative. She reminds us to acknowledge our feelings when faced with setbacks, but to quickly shift our focus towards constructive reassessment.
Can Work-Life Balance—And A Savings Account—Exist In The Horse Industry?
Eliza Sydnor Romm announced her decision to transition from leasing a farm and training horses to becoming a freelance instructor. Despite running a successful equestrian program, high operational costs and difficulty hiring reliable staff helped her make this decision. She aims to share her experiences and insights into dressage training through a new blog series with artist Susan DiFelice.
3 Questions With Susan DiFelice
Sandhills Equine Monthly asked Susan about balancing riding with family and work as a professional equestrian designer.