One For The Horse-Lovers...

I am trying to learn a new mantra to help me get through life...

A HORSE IS NOT A BICYCLE!!!!

Of course it isn't, I hear the horse-riders sigh.  Trouble is, when my horse passed away in 1996, I traded in horse-riding for cycling. 

So... I have a recurring fault when riding a horse.  I drop my shoulder and fall inwards when riding circles.  I think this must be a by-product of cycling, because when you're sweeping round a corner at full speed, you bend the inside leg, stretch the outside leg and lean into the bend.

I did very little on the horse tonight.  I trotted for quarter of an hour (doubling last week's endeavour) and had five minutes' of canter.  I still do not hurt, even after three days of standing around in the cold and the damp doing a standing building survey (my back was beginning to twinge today...)

I have decided that I don't give a toss what the horse is doing just now.  I just want to learn to sit with a good position and find a natural comfortable balance, and then, once I can do that, I can think about the horse.  Lateral bend will come before impulsion - if I can help Molly get more supple in our half hour sessions, then I'll be doing her a favour, too.

I think my instructress is quite enjoying the change, too.  She's used to kids who want to canter and jump, rather than someone who wants to work in harmony with the horse to the benefit of both.  I don't care if I have to go right back to basics for months - I just want to be a better horse-rider.  But when you're having to master using legs, arms, and seat independently, it's hard to get everything together at once.

The Sylvia Loch book is brilliant - I thought it would be.  Her philosophy - that every horse-rider should model themselves on the centaur, i.e. man and beast working together as one harmonious unit, is not new.  When I had Squire, I was a devotee of Lucy Rees' book 'The Horse's Mind', which advocated that a horse owner should learn to think as a horse so they could understand how best to work with, rather than against, their animal's natural instincts.  I like to think that the relationship I had with Squire was one of reciprocal generosity, but I can't help wishing I could have another chance to work with a horse so closely again.

And the most wonderful moment of the evening?  I'd given Molly a good scratch as a 'thank you' and returned her to her box.  I had a chat to some of the staff in the neighbouring box, then I went back to say goodbye to Molly.  Usually, she just blanks you - she really isn't much of a 'people' horse.  But tonight she actually made the effort to cross the box and nose my hand. 

It was quite an honour to be granted such attention.  Though maybe she was more amenable tonight because I didn't ask her to do anything too strenuous...

One For The Horse-Lovers...

I am trying to learn a new mantra to help me get through life...

A HORSE IS NOT A BICYCLE!!!!

Of course it isn't, I hear the horse-riders sigh.  Trouble is, when my horse passed away in 1996, I traded in horse-riding for cycling. 

So... I have a recurring fault when riding a horse.  I drop my shoulder and fall inwards when riding circles.  I think this must be a by-product of cycling, because when you're sweeping round a corner at full speed, you bend the inside leg, stretch the outside leg and lean into the bend.

I did very little on the horse tonight.  I trotted for quarter of an hour (doubling last week's endeavour) and had five minutes' of canter.  I still do not hurt, even after three days of standing around in the cold and the damp doing a standing building survey (my back was beginning to twinge today...)

I have decided that I don't give a toss what the horse is doing just now.  I just want to learn to sit with a good position and find a natural comfortable balance, and then, once I can do that, I can think about the horse.  Lateral bend will come before impulsion - if I can help Molly get more supple in our half hour sessions, then I'll be doing her a favour, too.

I think my instructress is quite enjoying the change, too.  She's used to kids who want to canter and jump, rather than someone who wants to work in harmony with the horse to the benefit of both.  I don't care if I have to go right back to basics for months - I just want to be a better horse-rider.  But when you're having to master using legs, arms, and seat independently, it's hard to get everything together at once.

The Sylvia Loch book is brilliant - I thought it would be.  Her philosophy - that every horse-rider should model themselves on the centaur, i.e. man and beast working together as one harmonious unit, is not new.  When I had Squire, I was a devotee of Lucy Rees' book 'The Horse's Mind', which advocated that a horse owner should learn to think as a horse so they could understand how best to work with, rather than against, their animal's natural instincts.  I like to think that the relationship I had with Squire was one of reciprocal generosity, but I can't help wishing I could have another chance to work with a horse so closely again.

And the most wonderful moment of the evening?  I'd given Molly a good scratch as a 'thank you' and returned her to her box.  I had a chat to some of the staff in the neighbouring box, then I went back to say goodbye to Molly.  Usually, she just blanks you - she really isn't much of a 'people' horse.  But tonight she actually made the effort to cross the box and nose my hand. 

It was quite an honour to be granted such attention.  Though maybe she was more amenable tonight because I didn't ask her to do anything too strenuous...