We’ve all heard the phrase, “get back on the horse”. The girls have been taking riding lessons for a few years now and they’ve been stepped on, bucked off, smashed fingers, sore legs and fallen off the horse. They may not realize it, but these moments, in this sport, are actually life lessons in disguise. These life lessons/ pains in life, make them tough and realize that life, just like a horse, may want to kick and buck you off course but you have to keep moving and riding.
I don’t ride, but I’ve learned enough from watching them. Riding requires balance. If you aren’t balanced properly on the saddle you can slide off. I’ve seen the girls do many exercises on the horse that require balance. Good posture, good grip, good seat. If you have good balance you can ride without using your hands. If your balance is off you might fall. In life, you may fall. It’s the “getting back on the horse” that matters. You have to know what it feels like to “fall” to be able to stand back up.
Life is hard and you will take some hard hits. Wear a helmet!
Horses get spooked over some of the silliest things. One of the horses is afraid of dandelions and will walk around them. Life can be “spooky”. We can get spooked from the silliest things as well. Best quote I’ve heard…”If you climb into the saddle, you better be ready for the ride!”
Learning to ride takes a lot of patience. Unlike other sports, “the ball” has a mind of it’s own. It takes patience to learn all the techniques and your horse needs to understand what you expect, then they need to agree to do it. If you jump the gun and get upset, they will react. All sports take practice, but riding a horse requires patience of the horse and yourself.
Riding a horse requires hard work. You can work for hours or even weeks on one thing and you may think you will never get it, but then one day it just clicks and you feel as if you can accomplish anything.
You have to have confidence in yourself and in the horse. I’ve watched my tiny little girl control this giant beast of animal and it listened to her! Confidence in yourself that you can do it, and you can get this animal to listen and do what you want it to do.
You have to be extremely brave to get on an animal that can buck you off if he’s in a mood. Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway!
Life can be bumpy…start posting.
Keep calm, heels down, shoulders back, watch your diagonals, eyes up, hold on tight and have the best ride of your life!
Cowles Farm 