The weekend of the 1st and 2nd of June, we have been busy with the EDL open clinic of Nicoló. I was very inspired after the first day and along the morning of the second day, I started to write down some thoughts, which I then decided to share with all people around.
While writing those words coming straight from my heart, I got tears in my eyes, so I decided to read it in front of everyone, knowing that the emotions would possibly come up :)
I report below my speech, so that the message I sent to the people present can reach people more far.
If you are all here today, it is for one reason: the love of horses. You are also here because you understand that to ride horses for their benefit and not just for our pleasure, we need to change ourselves and learn more to make it good and easy for the horses.
When I left Nicoló’s stable and Italy 5y ago, and came to The Netherlands alone with my young mare who was my only family at that time, I was scared, everywhere I looked I saw only pain in the eyes of horses. But I had something very clear in my head and my heart, the way how to approach horse training. Luckily I met Romi who had a different approach and she was looking for a better way to train horses and keep them healthy and happy. Still at that time I was alone doing this. But today, everywhere I look in here, I’m not alone anymore, everyone around me is learning the same and growing in this beautiful philosophy, both students and instructors.
For this, I want to thank you all for believing in this approach to horses and for giving us your trust, even though the process isn’t fast and easy for us humans:)
I want to thank Romi. Without her belief in this, we wouldn't be here today. I still remember the first time she wanted to try; I could see she wasn’t entirely sure about what we were saying and doing, but she told me, "I see the change in the horse!" Your growth over the last three years has been wonderful and truly inspiring to watch. You are a great horse woman but above all you are a true authentic person, which I respect truly. What you are creating here at FTH has an incredible value, that I want to support as much as I can.
Thanks to you, It has been few years now where we organize clinics and training more on regular basis and the results got tears in my eyes today. Seeing those horses find relaxation and you all with big smiles and looking for softness in yourself, it’s simply beautiful.
I would then like to invite you all to be part of the APPEL community. With our contributions, we support this philosophy in horse training, and we aim to become a louder voice so that the horse industry, which currently produces only pain and suffering for horses, can eventually hear this voice more clearly. Hopefully, one day we will be numerous enough to change the lives of all horses!
Last but not least, I want to thank Nicolo, my mentor and partner in life. I feel incredibly grateful to have the chance to learn from you, with your extensive experience not only in horse riding but also in EDL for more than 20 years. Having you with us every day is a privilege that most people don’t have. In the school, they described you as one of the purest, due to your full dedication to Karl’s philosophy and your loyalty to Karl and the school. You never doubted; you always questioned yourself and not Karl or his method. The privilege of working with you on a regular basis is something unique. Thank you for dedicating your knowledge to us.
Thank you all and see you next time!
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