Photo credit: Jean-Francois Leblanc

This week I was lucky enough to see Cavalia for the first time. I think my expectations were a little bit too high, as it wasn't the experience of a lifetime that I wanted, the continuity in the second half was a problem and a couple of times there were no horses on stage at all during long trapeze numbers. Having said that, I would still recommend it to horse people and non-horse people alike, just to see the "at liberty" work. We all know how difficult it is to gain the trust of a horse and to successfully pass on our wishes using all the aids at our disposal. This is Sylvia Zerbini and part of her group of 9 Arabians. She was able to control them with just her voice and a very small whip, used for directionality only. At one point she had 4 of them cantering in a circle clockwise and the other 4 cantering in a circle counter-clockwise inside the other circle. At the beginning and end of the show I saw, two six-month old colts wandered into the performance space by themselves and playfully and gently frolic with each other and the horse toys strewn about the stage, seemingly without noticing the lights, the music or the hundreds of people watching them. Another piece showcases a single dancer and a white Andalusian playing in and around a shallow pool of water -- they might as well have been a wood nymph and a unicorn -- truly magical. This amazing work is worth the (hefty) price of admission.

The recent bad weather has made riding Missy on the weekends a hit-and-miss proposition, but at least she is being worked during the week. Every time I get the chance to ride her I am cantering, so that's a step in the right direction. She is so uneven and crooked and falls out of it easily, but at least we're doing it. My lessons during the week have made this possible, I am so grateful for my trainer and for the wonderful group of women I share her with. We all went to see Cavalia together then the next night had some fun doing poses while we cantered around in a circle together.

How did it get to be less than 60 days until I leave for South Africa?  So much to do.  I'm just trying to get through each work day one at a time and avoid completely freaking out about my decisions.