Flossy is well known to many on the British Dressage Forum as a teller of interesting stories and perhaps the odd joke or two. We have selected a few tales for your pleasure.

Sport Psychology and relationship


 
I wonder if any body ever noticed  the duel personalities  that most dressage Divas posses . Its not only that each Diva has two sides to her  but these sides are completely  different from each other.
Normal encounter in normal life will hardly reveal these two different personalities with in a one Diva, it is only dressage and its associated activities , such as training , competing , owning a dressage horse  or being married to a Dressage Husband  that will bring to the surface this anomaly situation  of duel personalities .
For example  a dressage trainer at  his wits end,  with  a  pupil inability  while riding    to maintain a regular consistent rhythm  and clear tempo ,  in order to defuse some tension  created  as a result of intense lesson , the trainer applies   the personal touch   and inquires what does the student do in their other life when not attempting to do do dressage  , the incomprehensible answer   was  “ I am a musician with the London philharmonic  orchestra”.
Or the ballet dancer who is  so  rigid    stiff in the saddle resembling a telegraph pole while  on stage  can perform the most intricate physical maneuverers imaginable.
The possibilities  are endless but the one that puzzles me most is the Dressage Diva that  in real life is a successful  high flier who runs a multi national  corporation, she rubs shoulders with the movers and shakers of this world  intimidated by no one but prior to a BD intro halt/walk test ,  she  declares  to any one in hearing distance,    how  nervous she is     and frightened   from the elderly lady sitting in a car at the bottom of the arena.
In the old days one had to deal with these major  in securities  on ones own, basically we just had to tough it out  , now a days  thanks to   the  BEF  and UK sport,  emotional and psychological  help  is  available for every  one , sport psychologists, hypnosis therapies  and others   are there to advise  prop and support .
A Dressage Husband   enquired with another  man with similar  predicament  , how come the other mans Dressage Diva  is so confidence  in her test riding  , to which the reply was  “she learnt from her sport therapist  how to handle stress full situations, before  a dressage   test   she locks herself in the horse box   stands in front of the mirror  and recite to her self  IT WILL BE OK , IT WILL BE OK  IT IS  ONLY A DRESSAGE JUDGE   and we all noticed her recent results  IT WORKS”  he concluded.
Same night  the  Dressage Diva  noticed that her  husband is spending longer then usual in the bath room before  retiring  to bed , curiously she looked through the key hole and noticed her husband standing in front of the mirror mumbling to himself  “ IT WILL BE  OK ,IT WILL BE OK , ITS ONLY THE WIFE”