I Wish I Never Rode A Horse
|
|
Do you not know how to ride? I envy you. I wish I didn't know how to ride a horse. This may sound like a surprising statement from someone who loves horses, and has been riding for all of her life - even before she was born. My mother has always had horses, and I had my own pony by the time I was about five. Originally, tobacco was grown on my family’s farm. However, by the time I was about ten, my father quit the hard life of the tobacco grower. We had pastureland, and a large barn. So, to help pay for her own horses’ hay, my mother took in a few boarders. Then she took on a few more. Then she started giving lessons. My sister started training horses and became a respected horse dealer. So I've always ridden and have had the privilege of observing many problem horses being retrained, and the progression of many riders.
However, I really learned the basics of riding before my mother started to give lessons, so I largely learned on my own. Of course, my mother guided me, but back then, we didn't understand the mechanics of riding like we do now. At some point, someone told me that when you rode, you should just be able to see the toe of your boot when you looked down. I wanted to learn to ride correctly, so I took that advice to heart and shoved my feet forward, correcting myself if I felt my feet coming back under me. When I look at old photos of me sitting chair seat, I shudder and shake my head. It took a long time to correct a bad habit I had worked so hard to develop.
Over the years, I've spent a lot of time in the saddle. I used to compete in long distance events, which meant I was riding at least fifty miles a week. I rode horses that were not always the best trained. I rode crazy Arabs. So, I spent a lot of time learning some really bad habits. Not all of them were intentional, like trying to keep my feet shoved forward. Many were from sheer ignorance, and others were survival tactics. I had stickability, but despite some show ring experience, little finesse.
I have always been fascinated by what makes a good rider. And that led me to want to learn more about dressage. That too, is why I wish I didn't know how to ride. Because unlearning all those bad habits has hampered my efforts to become a really good rider. While those, who don’t know how to ride yet, only have one thing to learn, I have two things to learn. First, I must unlearn my old habits, which if you know anything about breaking habits can be very, very hard. Then, I must learn good new habits to replace the old.
I wish I had the opportunities that so many of you have in front of you. I know so many young people, including my daughter, who are able to take lessons from very knowledgeable and high level instructors. Only recently, I've been able to take lessons from Olympic level riders, Centered Riding instructors and others with a high degree of skill. My daughter has had this opportunity considerably earlier in life and is now a much better rider than I’ll ever be.
In many ways, I wish I was just starting out. I wish I was just learning how to ride for the first time, and that I was learning the right way. |
|
|
Soquili
This sounds like its just a rant. Boo hoo, you grew up around many horses and horse trainers. You have large pastures, and you and your daughter get to take lessons from an Olympian. So what if you wont be an AMAZING rider. Be grateful that you atleast get to ride horses and stop complaining that you're not satisfied with your Equitation.
That is what I have to say about the article. Hopefully I misread it.
This sounds like its just a rant. Boo hoo, you grew up around many horses and horse trainers. You have large pastures, and you and your daughter get to take lessons from an Olympian. So what if you wont be an AMAZING rider. Be grateful that you atleast get to ride horses and stop complaining that you're not satisfied with your Equitation.
That is what I have to say about the article. Hopefully I misread it.
|
Jun 12, 2013
• 4,906 views
|
|
|
|
Emmurr
I started learning in a similar way to you with the basics, it's only recently (About 2 years ago at the age of 15) that I learned to really ride by taking dressage lessons from a woman down the road and since then I've started to bring on my own young horse, I owe a lot to her and my mum of course.
I started learning in a similar way to you with the basics, it's only recently (About 2 years ago at the age of 15) that I learned to really ride by taking dressage lessons from a woman down the road and since then I've started to bring on my own young horse, I owe a lot to her and my mum of course.
|
Jun 12, 2013
• 4,471 views
|
|
|
|
Kaori
I think you should be grateful for what you got.
I didn't start riding until I was 10, and the first year of that was some 14 year old walking me up and down the road on a leading rein. Having your childhood was my dream. I can see your point, but I feel you should appreciate the opportunities you've been given.
Just my opinion :D
I think you should be grateful for what you got.
I didn't start riding until I was 10, and the first year of that was some 14 year old walking me up and down the road on a leading rein. Having your childhood was my dream. I can see your point, but I feel you should appreciate the opportunities you've been given.
Just my opinion :D
|
Jun 12, 2013
• 4,658 views
|
|
|
|
Polo the Weirdo
MOD
I feel your pain there. I started out with the only thing worse than no instruction: Bad instruction. -_- And after learning to ride completely the wrong way, and in turn training my horses the wrong way, it's taken over four years of extremely hard work (Since I started lessons with my brilliant instructor) to undo everything I'd done in the past six years, and then redo it correctly. But in a way, it worked out well for me. Maybe I rode like a rag doll on giraffe horses, but at least I learned to have guts. When you're got no knowledge, no skill, no proper guidance and a horse that knows as little as you do, you've got to have something to keep you in the saddle. XD And now that I CAN ride, and my horses are properly trained, that serves me well.
So I guess, in the end, I'm glad things turned out the way they did. :) Maybe I went about everything totally the wrong way, but I still got to where I wanted to be eventually. Although I can't say I don't cringe looking back at old photos.
I feel your pain there. I started out with the only thing worse than no instruction: Bad instruction. -_- And after learning to ride completely the wrong way, and in turn training my horses the wrong way, it's taken over four years of extremely hard work (Since I started lessons with my brilliant instructor) to undo everything I'd done in the past six years, and then redo it correctly. But in a way, it worked out well for me. Maybe I rode like a rag doll on giraffe horses, but at least I learned to have guts. When you're got no knowledge, no skill, no proper guidance and a horse that knows as little as you do, you've got to have something to keep you in the saddle. XD And now that I CAN ride, and my horses are properly trained, that serves me well.
So I guess, in the end, I'm glad things turned out the way they did. :) Maybe I went about everything totally the wrong way, but I still got to where I wanted to be eventually. Although I can't say I don't cringe looking back at old photos. XD It's disgraceful.
|
Jun 12, 2013
• 4,743 views
|
|
|
|
IggyPogo
Brilliant article!
I think the best way to break a bad habit is not to concentrate on the habit. Instead of trying to not have your feet shoved in front of you, concentrate on keeping your feet under you and heels down, and look at it positively. Such as, when I developed the bad habit of grabbing mane, instead of concentrating on not grabbing mane, I concentrated on my hand position, and keeping my fingers closed, and, when I can, I'll outstretch my hands and ride without them. :)
Brilliant article!
I think the best way to break a bad habit is not to concentrate on the habit. Instead of trying to not have your feet shoved in front of you, concentrate on keeping your feet under you and heels down, and look at it positively. Such as, when I developed the bad habit of grabbing mane, instead of concentrating on not grabbing mane, I concentrated on my hand position, and keeping my fingers closed, and, when I can, I'll outstretch my hands and ride without them. :)
|
Jun 12, 2013
• 4,511 views
|
|
|
|
Winniefield Park
I can certainly see Planet Spunk's point. Here I am living someone else's dream, and I have the temerity to complain about it. First-world problems, as they say.
I can certainly see Planet Spunk's point. Here I am living someone else's dream, and I have the temerity to complain about it. First-world problems, as they say.
|
Jun 15, 2013
• 5,340 views
|
|
|
|
|
More News by Winniefield Park
|
|
3P *Starring Ruth* has captured two spots on the leaderboard joining * Queen Of Hearts. Starring Ruth is a 17.1 hand Friesian mare out of the PythonPonyPalaces stable and was foaled September 7, 2023. She not only was #1 ranked ho ...
|
|
DNA testing can tell you a number of things about a horse’s risk of developing a hereditary disease, coat color, genetic markers for speed, temperament and gait and can give some insight into a horse’s breed. In this video, The Cl ...
|
|
Here is a story of how a passion for horses led one woman to a life of secrecy and dishonesty. Over twenty years she built a life of glamor and competitive success. But many people asked how she funded her extravagant lifestyle th ...
|
|
One of the world’s rarest breeds is the Suffolk Punch. Native to Britain, these stocky draft horses once had pride of place in agricultural work, hauling artillery, pulling public transportation vehicles like busses and towing bar ...
|
|
*V For Victory* is entrenched on the leaderboard and still holds the Best Streak with an 18,792 run and a jumpoff record of 29,444 - 19. But two mares have taken over the Top Rank and Highest Jump records. At 16, the 17-hand Crown ...
|
|
Get your daily dose of nature with this 49-minute video of wild horses travelling to a water hole in Sand Wash Basin, a BLM managed area in Colorado. The small herd drinks, grazes and swish's flies in the semi-arid desert environm ...
|
|
Halloween is just around the corner and it's time to consider costumes for you and your four-legged friends. A recent viral trend is dressing your pet as a ghost. Some sheets and paint are the basis of this costume, and you can se ...
|
|
Good riders do what they can to make their horse’s job easier. Especially when jumping, your position can help or hinder your horse as it adjusts its strides and balance between and over obstacles. Here’s a video with good suggest ...
|
|
|