Riding in Balance
We are all dreaming about it: our horses are full of
energy, yet in perfect balance listening to our
slightest request, we are riding them effortlessly and
gracefully, appearing to the onlooker quiet and relaxed.
We think this ideal is only a beautiful dream, never attainable
for regular riders and only left for a gifted few.
I want to tell you that this is not so! There is a way to learn
the principles and laws that govern our bodies and the bodies of our horses.
These laws and principles work for horses and riders of all shapes and sizes.
When you learn how it works, you can apply
this knowledge to any horse or rider. It is not magic or
extremely difficult to understand. What you need most of
all to succeed is genuine love for horses
and humility to learn from them.
My journey to this understanding was long and full of
questions that no one could answer. This was like making my way through
a jungle. It was hard to see where to go next.
The pieces of truth were rare and far apart.
The clear path that I finally stumbled upon was made by
Mary Wanless, a riding teacher from England that had
the courage to look at riding from a different perspective. She calls her
method Riding With Your Mind. Through
years of painstaking research she came up with a
clear and complete system of horse riding principles.
It is mindbogling that no one before her put it all
together.
I'm not suggesting that the system makes riding a piece of cake, far from
that, but it showed me the clear path. It is now so much fun to move forward,
to explore, to find solutions to everyday problems. Now I can take full responsibility for my actions
on the horse and look at his responses as approval or
disapproval of what I'm doing.
The horse is always right - this is an
old saying from Renaissance Haute Ecole (High School). These words
are so true! Day after day horses that I ride prove this to me and
show me my place every time I stop listening to them.
If you share my passion for horses, for learning, have
courage to open your mind, and have patience with
yourself and your horse let's explore what makes a good
rider. Rider's Posture...
Irina Yastrebova, Riding Instructor and
Trainer.
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