Hello and welcome to the new Demi Dressage website!
I thought I’d start our shiny new blog by answering a couple of questions I have been asked in the past – why the name ‘Demi’, and why the colour orange?
The definition of Demi is half, or small. In itself, this makes it the perfect descriptive word for our young riders!
A demi-volte is also a dressage movement (and features in our own “Summer Ice Creams” Demi Dressage tests!) – it means ‘half circle’ (a volte is a small circle, typically 6, 8 or 10m)
Importantly, Demi is also an easy word for even young children to say. It often amuses me how MiniD now chats about ‘Demi’ as familiarly as she does a family member!
As for the colour orange – I often get asked this, especially by people who know me, and who wouldn’t perhaps have picked orange as my first choice of favourite colour! Many wondered why not purple, or indeed pink, both favourites of MiniD at the time.
I did consider purple. I love bright colours, and purple is lush, bold and brave. But purple is often attributed as a ‘girly’ colour – and it’s hard enough as it is to encourage boys that the ‘boring’ discipline of dressage is for them! I wanted a colour that was as gender-neutral as possible.
Yellow makes me happiest – but it’s not a bold colour. Red is bold, and in the UK at least, red rosettes denote first place (unless you’re the Pony Club…) It’s not all about the winning though is it?
So I chose orange. It’s bright, it’s cheerful. According to colour psychology, orange inspires confidence, competition and independence! I always think of it as a warm and happy colour.
I also own three ‘orange’ ponies – many people shy away from chestnuts, particularly mares – but MiniD’s Tangle, and my own ‘heart horse’ Jay, are our horses of a lifetime, so the colour orange is a nod to them both!
Which brings me to the Demi Dressage logo – did you know it was hand-drawn by myself, based on a photo of MiniD and Tangle at one of their Pony Club rallies? <3
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