I use the word "spirit" because it has become synonymous with the term that I want to put into words.

The craft, the creativity and the spirit are all closely related - and one cannot excist without the two others. They form a trinity in that way.

Spirit, however, binds everything together and is both the easiest and the most destructive to remove from the equation. Why? Because it is the whole essence of why we like to be around horses. It is the co-existence of the playful, content and proud horse living his simple life, and the simple child-like fascination of that tender, yet powerful animal.

The spirit is always there from the beginning, but often it has been lost at one point or the other. I would not claim to have found the whole answer to keeping the spirit through the whole education of the horse, but one particular thing springs to mind:

Keeping the spirit alive is a lot about doing nothing while doing something - just daring to leave it be and have fun together. Stop allowing ambition and achievement to block the joy and magic in your horse and in you.