"How did it go over with Gitte today?", asks my husband as I walked through the door. "Just great!", I replied with a happy smile. "Have you been jumping?" "No, mostly trotting", I reply. Just trotting... He has got no idea how fantastic it feels when your horse starts to move correctly for the first time, when you start to feel the power and lightness coming up through the saddle, its amazing - and I want more...

I was given a free ticket to see Klaus Schöneich and saw him teaching and attended a theory session. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It made such sense, but on the other hand, it was too good to be true. I have been taking lessons from ARR straightness trainer Gitte Vestergaard ever since, and I am SO happy I have found ARR.

I am 57 years old - but still: better late then never... Every step I take is a challenge but I can see my horses developing before my eyes which makes me eager to learn more. I have 3 horses in the process and I am driving another one down to ARR in Germany in January. They are all so different and have such different needs. It's like having children, really. When you have had the first one you tend to think you know what your doing, until the next one comes along that is completely different and has other requirements altogether.

Horses have been a big part of my life, they have also given me a lot of heartache. And I wouldn't like to add up the money they have cost me over the years. I don't know if I would have been ready for this course if I hadn't been through all the ups and downs of my horse career. I can really appreciate how much help this way of training gives to the horse and rider. And although we are all striving to train our horses to use themselves correctly and build up their muscles correctly with balance in a healthy way so they can be with us for a long happy life without problems, to me now, this it the only way to start them: on the lungeline and go forward at their pace, watching out for all the small signals they send and knowing them right through to their core. The horse is such an amazing animal that is so clued into its own body. So quick to learn and so eager to do the right thing that we have no idea.

"How can you be so tired from just trotting, mom?", asks one of my daughters as I am relaxing in my chair with a cup of tea and eyes closed. "I am just trying to let things sink in", I reply.

By Rosemarie Teasdale Thomsen