Hoekstra Dressage

06/16/2026

05/23/2026

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09/23/2022

Dear friends, this morning had all the makings of a fine day. A real Canadian experience! After bringing our daughter to school we stopped by timmies for a cup of coffee to share which we enjoy doing together. And because the lineup for the drive through was packed like 401-rush hour we decided to park the car and while my wife went in to get the coffee I waited in the car and while i was waiting ,there were guys chatting nearby and discussing if they should go in for a double-double or opt for something else. I love using my senses and just enjoy the experience of being there watching and listening and just taking it all in. Coming to my senses allows me to enjoy the moment, get a grip and feel ready to take on whatever else the day might dish-up for me! Funny enough I've always done that in my training and no matter where I am or the condition I may find myself in it seems to work for me. The recipe is simple and inspired by my old friend Jan from holland. For this was the way we trained which becomes the way we live. Training results in behaviour modification.Show up, For I might learn something, step up and rise to the occassion .whatever situation I may encounter.It's in ya!-we are designed to deliver a good fight! You can do a lot more than we might think! Thank you Jan! And now I just enjoyed sharing something that I've learned with others using social media. Happy living eh! Our horses do this every day of their life! They use their senses to sniff out signs of danger as well as clues that something they might look forward to is eminent. Like breakfast. Yahoo!hurry up! We're hungry! Or a cup of timmies finest in this case!

08/28/2022

Those who like, may look around,but those who can't live without search and explore &look within! My friends, summer seems to go too fast, or is it just me? While training results in behaviour modification, exercises help manage emotions and allow you to "find " the feel of what you're looking for to develop the correct technique rather than trying really hard to make something happen which would only result in tension and prevent the horse from maintaining its natural forward tendency. Anything forced can never be brilliant !I hope that for many of you training has become an integral part of your life and find it as meaningful just like myself. Then we'll get up extra early for that each day! And we can motivate ourselves regardless of the conditions! And , show up! So we might learn something, step up! Whatever it takes,but not at all cost. It's in ya! Because you are capable of a lot more than you might think! Happy living eh.

08/26/2022

Dear friends, I'm not a big fan of watching others live their lives from the comfort of a chair Just to later looking back in hindsight with regret not having had more input in contributing to the content of my life and getting more skin in the game! Because life is just too darn short. I'd rather fail trying than later regret not trying it. Taking reasonable chances in life is part of it! Does that involve effort? Often most certainly yes! But I'll do it anyway! Whatever it takes, but not at all cost! And the feeling of control may be found somewhere near the edge of loosing it! And since the process of searching is a little bit like fishing in the dark learning what to look for is found by restoring & cultivating forward (where to go from here) and half halting!(rebalancing what you already have before adding more!). Happy living eh.