Okay, so today I’m gonna tell you about the time I tried to get friendly with this horse. I’ve always wanted to get into horseback riding, but it’s not as easy as just hopping on and going for a ride. There’s a whole process to it, you know? It all started when I decided to take some lessons at a local stable.
First thing I did was learn about being around a horse. Safety first, right? You gotta approach them calmly, talk to them in a soothing voice, and be aware of their body language. They’re big animals, and you don’t want to spook them. I spent a good amount of time just hanging out near the horses, getting them used to my presence.
Then came the groundwork. This is where you start building a connection with the horse without actually riding them. I started with simple things, like leading the horse around the pen. It’s all about gentle guidance and clear communication. Then we moved on to more complex stuff, like asking the horse to stand still and respond to basic commands.
- Leading the horse
- Asking them to stand still
- Circling work
One thing I learned pretty quickly is that your legs are super important. The instructor told me, “Your legs are your primary driving aid.” With a lazy horse, you actually want to keep your legs OFF them most of the time. Sounds weird, but it’s so that when you DO use your legs, the horse actually feels it and reacts. If your leg is always on them, they just get used to it and it doesn’t mean anything.
I also had to learn about “leads” – basically which leg the horse is favoring. Apparently, every horse has a preference. Some are “rougher” on one lead than the other. The instructor said that consistent practice and training would help even things out. My horse, for example, seemed to prefer his left lead. He was a bit clumsy when trying to go right. We spent a lot of time working on that, just doing circles and figure-eights until he got more comfortable.
Building a Bond
The whole point of all this groundwork and training is to build trust and a bond with the horse. It takes time and patience. You can’t just force it. I learned that it’s a lot about “pressure and release” – applying pressure to get the horse to do something, and then releasing that pressure as a reward when they do it right.
After a few weeks, I finally felt like I was starting to connect with my horse, Lara. It was a great feeling. We weren’t quite ready for long trail rides or anything, but we had a good foundation. I felt like I was making real progress. It wasn’t always easy, but it was definitely rewarding. I learned a lot about horses, but I also learned a lot about myself – patience, clear communication, and the importance of building trust.
