Trainer Head Tilt

After yesterdays grueling school on Lewis (Kyle did get on him at the end of my ride to work on some stuff I was still missing... Lewis looked like a 13hh pony) I decided to give him today off.  I hopped on him bareback to go on a hack around the farm.  Most of the farm where we are staying is reserved for cattle, mainly longhorns.  Lewis isn't scared of these guys, ambles right by them when they are on the fence, but a leaf by the gate almost sent me flying.  When in doubt hold the mane.  Lewis' next career move maybe reining, I have never ridden a horse that can spin as fast as him.

Anyway, I ventured over to Five Ring Stable (Kyle's aptly named farm) with Hannah Williams and Liam (whom she purchased from us at Antebellum) to watch her dressage lesson.  Kyle, as always, was full of insight on how to correct some issues that seem to be reoccurring not just on the flat but when jumping as well.  Being a trainer and teaching lessons myself I always find it amusing to watch other people teach.  Where does the "trainer head tilt" start, and what in the world does it help us see?  We ALL do it, I, like most others I have noticed tip my head to the right...  has anyone else paid attention to this?  Is this some way to access the right brained part of our thinking?  Are we trying to make the horses look more "uphill"?  I wonder if I should conduct a study on this.   Do people that coach other sports also have this mysterious head tilt?

It is amazing how crooked we can make our selves while yelling at the riders to keep their horses straight.  Is this some sort of butterfly effect where we take all the crookedness away from our riders and horses and put it into ourselves?  After a long day teaching my neck gets sore.

Final FL lesson on Lew tomorrow before the long drive home.  It is really difficult for me to remember that it is December only days before Christmas in the warm upper 70 degree weather down here.  I can't seem to rationalize the decorations and Christmas music on the radio.  I dread going back north, I know its been warm there the past few days, I'm sure I will be punished by mother nature as soon as I get back to work!

Hoping for a mild winter,
Jenn