“Cooking is like painting or writing a song. Just as there are only so many notes or
colors, there are only so many flavors – it’s how you combine them that sets you
apart.” - Wolfgang Puck
We just got back from another great dressage clinic and all
I can think about is cooking. I really
dislike cooking. I love to eat, but at
the end of the day, I don’t have a lot of energy or patience left for standing
over the stove. My loss. Turns out there is a lot cooking can teach us
about riding and life.
We’ve all heard it, “Plan your ride and ride your plan.” Putting that into practice when your horse
doesn’t know or agree with the plan can be a little more interesting. It is a common frustration. We think of our plan like a roadmap or a
recipe. First rhythm, then relaxation,
that brings connection, add impulsion, create straightness, then you get
collection. But somewhere along the line
you discover that there is no rhythm in the cupboard today and your regular
connection has spoiled. The air is too
dry and the bread won’t rise or the wind is too strong and your horse won’t
listen.
When I was little, we used to listen to the Stone Soup
song. It was about some hungry travelers
who stopped for food in a small town.
The townspeople didn’t want to share so they told the travelers they
didn’t have any food. Realizing the
towns people were worse off than they were, the travelers decided they would
feed the town instead, so they set up a pot in the middle of town and put three
stones in it. You can imagine how it
finished. The intrigued townsfolk
wondered what the travelers were doing and the travelers explained they were
making stone soup. The farmer thought
some carrots would bring out the flavor, so he added a few. The baker thought a potato might help so he
fetched some. The tailor brought celery,
the butcher contributed some meat and on and on. By the time the stone soup was ready to eat
it was the tastiest dish anyone had ever had.
The point is you have to start with something, even if it is just
stones.
So your horse comes out of his stall like a fire breathing
dragon, you have impulsion! Now you just
have to add the other ingredients. Maybe
knead in a little elasticity and suppleness.
Then you might need to add a little umpf to the tempo. You might have added a little too much, so
now you need to add more half-halts and get the connection back. The half-halts might kill your energy, so you
have to add a little more. Notice that
it is add, add, add. Just like making
gravy, you can’t take back that cup of flour you accidently dumped into the
pan. All you can do is add more milk and
stir, stir, stir.
“I don’t like food that’s too carefully arranged; it makes
me think that the chef is spending too much time arranging and not enough time
cooking.” - Andy Rooney
Like riding and cooking, life is additive. There are no take backs. If you add negativity, you have to add twice
as much positive to make up for it.
Measure your words, thoughts and actions carefully, but remember there
is no recipe. Life is active and
constantly changing. Some days you’ll
need more sugar, other days a little spice.
Taste your product often. Check
for forming lumps and squish them quickly.
I never thought cooking would give me a Fresh Perspective on riding and
life, but if you keep your mind stirring over new ideas, you’ll be surprised what
you may find.
