Riding Lessons

     When it comes to riding and working with horses, my education is on-going. Following are several things I have learned this week:

·         Know your geometry. When it comes to horses and riding, everything has a shape—even a straight line. The mare I ride, Candy, and I are working on trotting a perfectly round 20-meter circle. This is more difficult than it looks: Both of us have a more comfortable “side” that we like to work on, and I tend to lean to the inside while Candy likes to bulge to the outside. Therefore, I keep tracing a mental image of that round circle in my mind as we trot the pattern on the ground…all while I am using my seat, leg and hand aids to keep the horse “straight”!

·         Ride with your eyes. This is one of horseman Chris Cox’s mantras, and his advice has really been coming in handy as I practice those circles. If I don’t look where I’m going, I can’t expect the mare to know where I want us to be!

·         Ride the next stride. In other words, “the show must go on.” Every time you work with a horse, you need to have a plan. Where are you going to ride? What are you going to work on? The horse is looking to you to be his “leader,” so you must be worth following. It is easy, and natural, to get distracted by what is happening or has just happened during a ride. Whether your horse spooks or your circle is starting to look like a potato or the ride is going perfectly, keep riding forward. Rather than become distracted or obsess about what just happened, file a mental note in your mind about how you dealt with the issue and ride on.

·         Stay in balance. Riders are often reminded that if they look down at the ground when they ride, they will be “picking the spot to land.” That may be true, but if you are feeling dizzy or off-balance when you ride, this will also affect the horse you are on. Riders at the Spanish Riding School, in Vienna, never ride with stirrups when they ask their horses to perform the “airs above the ground,” because the rider needs to find his balance on the horse without interfering with the animal’s balance. A few days ago, I lost my balance at the canter; while I didn’t come off the horse, the mare tripped and took several missteps. This experience reinforced how much the rider’s balance can affect how easily, comfortably, and safely the horse can move with someone on his back.

·         Peanut oil. During the summertime, one of my friends paints peanut oil on her horses’ hooves (including the frog). This helps to add and seal moisture into the hoof during hot and dry weather.

     Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.