Equestrian Gathering: On Saturday, July 11, and Sunday, July 12, 2016, 25 riders from the ACRVV association gathered at the Château de Bourgon-Montourtier for a guided tour with commentary, an overnight stay, and a picnic area.
The association had taken the time to carefully plan the hiking route through this beautiful forest, which serves as a stunning backdrop for this heritage gem. 
Horses leaving under the porch 
The hikers set off again on Sunday afternoon, full of enthusiasm.
Many people ride without a bit; this practice is worth discussing—it’s also known as ethology: Understanding the horse means relearning common sense—the horse’s common sense. It means knowing how to question yourself; it also means being able to ask, “What can I do to improve this situation, this movement?”
It means understanding the horse, knowing what it needs to grow… and then giving it that… More understanding, less apprehension. You can’t address the issue of understanding the horse without talking about feel, timing, and balance.
“The Feel” is something difficult to explain; it’s a sensation, a feeling that occurs between a person and a horse at a particular moment—something you can’t see. It’s about recognizing the slightest attempt, the slightest effort the horse might make.
Timing is about rewarding even the smallest effort. It’s about applying or releasing pressure at the right moment, and for a horse, there are four moments in a second. It’s the “feel” that allows us to have the right timing.
Balance is the combination of “Feel” and “Timing” that guides us in finding it. As the name suggests, balance is about finding the middle ground between too fast and too slow, too gentle and too firm… between too much and not enough.
Man is never in balance; the horse always is. 