Horseback riding is getting more interesting. Our group 'upgraded' from the easy horses (the ones that are illing to work, even if you are not very clear in what you want from them) to the horses with a more complex personality. Complex personality meaning that it takes longer for your horse to trust you as its rider, they need more specific cues and if you give them an inch of slack, they'll run with it.
The downside is that most of the horses are huge, like over two meter tall (that would be 7 feet for the US flisties). Being so high up is pretty scary all by itself, though I seem to do fine compared to my fellow riders. I think the key is that due to ballet and dance, sitting up straight and put my weight to the back is easier, making it a lot easier to stay on horseback, even when they do crazy stuff like trying to run into each other at full speed gallop or making unexpected jumps during trot/gallop. Sometimes they are just ignoring their rider and trying to pick a fight with aother horse. It's like having a troublesome four year old on your hands.
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That's right, we get to wear kevlar body armor! Wearing a body protector reduces the risk of injury to internal organs in case of an accident. I consider buying one when we are doing the outdoor two hour trips in April. The outside world holds more scary suprises for horses compared to the safety of indoor training.
On Sunday we're participating in a contest at our mange and I signed up with Martine and we both picked 'complicated' horses. Because they are more fun! Next week will be the last regular class, after that the riding school is closed to to rebuiling it into a new, shiny complex and we have the opportunity to take the horses into the forest once a month instead. I look forward to riding outside, it asks more from the rider and the horse with regards to trust and skill.
Also, I talked with Lisette and she also has the wish to do a ponycamp because she never went as a girl due to her parents. It eases my mind that I am not the only scorned 30-something woman who took up horsebackriding later in life because it was something that I couldn't do when I was a child.
The downside is that most of the horses are huge, like over two meter tall (that would be 7 feet for the US flisties). Being so high up is pretty scary all by itself, though I seem to do fine compared to my fellow riders. I think the key is that due to ballet and dance, sitting up straight and put my weight to the back is easier, making it a lot easier to stay on horseback, even when they do crazy stuff like trying to run into each other at full speed gallop or making unexpected jumps during trot/gallop. Sometimes they are just ignoring their rider and trying to pick a fight with aother horse. It's like having a troublesome four year old on your hands.
( Read more... )
That's right, we get to wear kevlar body armor! Wearing a body protector reduces the risk of injury to internal organs in case of an accident. I consider buying one when we are doing the outdoor two hour trips in April. The outside world holds more scary suprises for horses compared to the safety of indoor training.
On Sunday we're participating in a contest at our mange and I signed up with Martine and we both picked 'complicated' horses. Because they are more fun! Next week will be the last regular class, after that the riding school is closed to to rebuiling it into a new, shiny complex and we have the opportunity to take the horses into the forest once a month instead. I look forward to riding outside, it asks more from the rider and the horse with regards to trust and skill.
Also, I talked with Lisette and she also has the wish to do a ponycamp because she never went as a girl due to her parents. It eases my mind that I am not the only scorned 30-something woman who took up horsebackriding later in life because it was something that I couldn't do when I was a child.