Personal Narrative: I Love Horse

It seems that every little girl goes through an “I love horses” stage, but they grow out of it over time. For me, I never grew out of it. As a child, my dream was to have my own pony. At the age of 17, I am fortunate to own three horses. Horseback riding is an intense sport because it takes more than athleticism. Horseback riding takes commitment, determination, most importantly, constructing a bond with your horse. It’s a team sport, a team of two. I cannot think of any one thing that could replace the amount of knowledge I have gained from having horses. Over many years, I gained confidence and the meaning of responsibility. I learned to manage and train an animal of such amazing ability. Daily trip to the stables became the norm. There is no such thing as a sick day or vacation when you own horses. They depend on you to take care of them in every way imaginable.
I learned that patience is vital.
Oftentimes adjustments need to be made. I also developed the ability to control my emotions. Every new transition requires some serious energy. The horse needs to comprehend the rider’s expectations, and eventually consent to the change. There is a fine line because if get forceful or upset, they overreact. Once while training a young mare, I signaled her to move forward but she wouldn’t. Naturally I became frustrated and kicked her forward. Not surprisingly, my aggression was met with aggression and the horse bucked me off. This was a valuable life lesson. It only takes one harsh move on a sensitive horse to realize that strategy does not work. Riding a horse is about balance and feel; you can't just ask for the same thing one way. Every action I make on a horse should get a reaction and adjustment, but you have to be proactive. These adjustments need to be made two to three steps ahead of your horses
movements. No matter how well you can ride, you still have to be humble. Just this past winter, I was riding a horse who was rehabbing back to work. We were just walking around and the horse spooked and spun me off faster than I could react. With horses, regardless of the amount you know, every so often you still fall off. This also teaches you to be aware. In the end, determination and hard work pays off. Sometimes it takes weeks to perfect one thing about your riding. You may spend hours thinking you will never get it. But you keep training and pushing and when you finally get it right, it all pays off. Talent only takes you so far. To learn how to ride a horse, and feel his every movement underneath you, it takes years of hard work, dedication, and determination. I am still learning everyday. I can't just sit and expect to learn more about my sport. I have to engage, study and practice. I want to know as much as possible. The many lessons learned in the barn, and on my horses, I will take with me as I move confidently into the future.