"There is no gnosis without pain. One must come to know dressage, not just with the mind, but also with the flesh. Intimate, uninhibited contact between horse and rider is a prerequisite. The rider must become comfortable expressing unconditional love for his/her horse. The pain of destroying personal ego cannot be imagined or described: it is beyond words. The dressage artist must surrender the very core of his/her own private being, the sense of self. There is no anguish like that of relinquishing one's individuality, one's sense of control. For dressage to come into its rightful place as an art de vivre, the boundaries of personality must dissolve."