En Garde

Just before Christmas I went fencing for the first time, thanks to my good friend Shauna. It may seem like a strange bucket list item for some of you, but given that my favourite movie is The Three Musketeers (I know, please don’t judge me), I always thought it looked like fun. 

And indeed, I had a great time. Shockingly (or not for those of you who know me) I was deemed “aggressive” by the person teaching me. Little did he know who he was talking to….

En Garde is a French warning that translates to “[be] on guard”. It is defined as:

• a direction to be ready to fence, taking the opening position for action.

This all sounds like positive, affirmative action in fencing. One must be “en garde” and ready to engage. However, it was not at all what I expected, and significantly more exhausting then I had banked on. I have definitely not conditioned my arm muscles to be fencing fit and maintaining a fencing position had my arm and hand shaking from strain by the end. 

As much as I enjoyed the experience, and would happily go again, the idea for this blog started ruminating afterwards. Being in a position for action isn’t inherently a bad thing, but being on guard all the time definitely isn’t healthy. 

Let me put this into horse terms. Riding a horse requires being in a position and constantly ready for action. Even on the most bombproof horses you should always be alert and prepared for anything. Horses are flight animals by nature and unpredictable at the best of times. But being alert when on their backs doesn’t mean being anxious. Horses are exceptionally sensitive to anxiety and if you’re constantly on edge, even the most stoic horse will feel that and could become nervous.

If there’s one thing I’ve heard a lot of recently, it’s that the biggest epidemic currently plaguing our society is anxiety. In 2017 the World Health Organization found that more than 260 million people world wide suffer from anxiety disorders and that statistic is sadly increasing. 

You have to be able to let your guard down and rest. Our society has been trained that rest is bad. If we’re not part of the daily grind, striving to do better, to climb further up the corporate ladder, to make more money, or be more elite, we’re just not doing enough. And yet, rest is one the greatest gifts we could ever give ourselves. 

Its not just taking a day off and sleeping either, as glorious as that is. I’m talking about truly resting. Allowing yourself to let your guard down and let the world see you. Even if it’s the messy version of you. Instead of always being "en garde", find friends who know the real you and that will have your back regardless. Be one of those friends for someone else. Create a society that doesn’t have to be walled up and ready to engage or defend every minute of every day. 

It’s so countercultural to what our world teaches us, but it’s the only way to break out of the vicious cycle and properly rest. So let down your guard. You never know who you may meet, or who you will become, but it could be the healthiest decision you ever make for yourself. And the next time you catch yourself feeling anxious on a horse, take a deep breath, drop the reins and remember what a privilege it is just to be able to ride. As Helen Thompson so elequently put it, “In riding a horse we borrow freedom.”

With the kick off of the 2019 show season, I hope you’ll all remember that it’s for the love of the horse, and not just the sport, that we do this. Good luck everyone!