Lisa Febuary 2023

 My trainer’s name is Doina Fischer. She is an impressive woman that we met when we came to Portugal 4 years earlier. She teaches Classical Dressage and Working Equitation based on the biomechanics of the horse and human here in Cala de Mijas and gives clinics in other countries as well. She speaks about 6 languages fluently (one of them English). She is one of those people that was born with a sort of internal birthmark that is clearly a horse. Everything equestrian has been her world for 40 years, and she’s not that old. At least she’s not as old as me. I knew from stalking her on Facebook that she’d bought a great lesson horse, a Lusitano named Estoy that seemed to put a smile on every client’s face. My first day I was a little bit nervous. I knew Doina was teaching some very high level dressage riders and here I am, Howdy Doody. We spent three warm beautiful February mornings together. Today I feel (after the third day of lessons) that the difference she has made in my riding will STAY with me (that’s hard to do with many trainers) and last with me till my last ride. After pondering over the things she taught me, the main thing I can say, is that in a way, I’ve always sort of ridden the horses’ heads instead of their behinds. My riding friends will know what I mean, but for clarity, let’s just say that I’ve been riding like John Wayne, pulling my horse’s head around, leaning forward and flapping my legs  (that is a slight exaggeration), but after three days, she and Estoy really showed me the balance and benefit of riding from the horse’s hind end, which is where their power is, and how to ride with my core instead of pulling on his head.  Doina (and Estoy) were very patient but demanding at the same time. Never did she say (out loud)… well, let’s just let that sloppy part alone. It was more like “WHERE ARE YOUR FEET?” “DON’T LEAN FORWARD!” “PUT YOUR HANDS DOWN!” “WHAT ABOUT YOUR CHAMPAIGN?” (That was a cue as to how to hold the reins) She also would say “Better, BETTER… GOOD LISA!” She was so supportive and FUN. I was thinking so hard, trying so hard (too hard mostly) and the few moments that it all came together was like flying.. like riding a Pegasus horse. Pure bliss. I am now ready to book my next trip to Spain (or book her first trip to Washington State). My lessons consisted of riding in the morning, and after an hour or two, we took another horse named Notus, a beautiful very cute Lusitano, to the round pen and learned about the muscles and how to work the horse from the ground to strengthen his muscles in his back, in his abdomen, in his neck. She showed me what to do and told me what not to do and the mechanics of it all. This woman knows her stuff. All the way from the stable back to the hotel on each day David had to listen to my gushing.