I wasn't one of those horse-crazy kids who dreamed of having a pony. I always been fascinated with animals, and amazed by people who could really handle horses well. I thought riding would be fun, but I didn't spend my days hanging around stables shovelling poop just for the privilege of sitting on one.
I suppose if there had been places like that in our neighborhood at the time, I might have discovered my passion earlier in life. But my exposure to horses as a kid was mainly through friends who lived on farms and ranches. We used to ride the horses there, but they were mostly cranky, undisciplined and seldom ridden, with ill-fitting saddles and such. So my childhood experience with horses, while it was fun, involved a lot of getting bucked off, thrown, and run away with. There was no opportunity to really learn proper horsmanship. When a kid stopped falling off, everyone assumed they had learned to ride.
In my twenties, I ended up working for a while for a publishing house that produced some of the well-known horse magazines. Through that job, I was exposed to the more serious side of riding, and realized just how little I actually had learned. I'd have loved to take up the sport seriously after that, but my work didn't allow me the time or allow me to live in places where there were horses and good trainers.
When I moved to Germany I discovered that the horses and the riding school here are widely considered the best in the world. And better yet, they are everywhere and they are affordable. Riding is one of the most popular sports in this country, and if you want to ride well there is an abundance of amazing professional training available.
So I worked like a maniac for about six years to get to the point where I could cash out of my "real" career and pursue that dream. It wasn't easy! Sport horse riding is incredibly strenuous and difficult to learn as an adult. But I am proud to say that I stuck with it, ended up buying a wonderful horse of my own, and it has become a true passion as well as the foundation a whole new career.
I guess maybe it's a little like the men who have a mid-life crisis and buy a fancy sports car. The upside is that it's a healthier preoccupation that actually keeps you in shape. The downside is that horses actually require as much fuel and more maintenance than cars and it's not much cheaper.
Interestingly, the thing I discovered about riding, as opposed to other sports, is that when there is a living animal involved the incentive to stick with it through thick and thin (for me at least) is much greater. I actually find handling and caring for the animals as rewarding as the accomplishments I've made as a rider. And when you form a solid relationship with a horse, it is an amazing thing. I will never cease to be awed that such a powerful, self-willed animal will befriend me, allow me to sit on its back, and happily do what I ask. It has given me a completely fresh perspective on the idea of a true partnership. Interacting with a horse, and doing it properly in a way that respects and preserves the inherent nature of the animal, is an incredible exercise in patience, observation, and trust.
They are enormous and very clever animals with astonishing social skills and keen judgement. If you don't give a horse the respect it deserves it has no reason to trust you, and no measure of persuasion will convince them that the relationship is worthwhile. So for me, the trust, gentleness, and willingness of the horses I handle is a precious thing and something I am very proud of. The way I see it, it is all about the animal, whether they are accepting of my presence, and whether they choose to cooperate with me of their own free will. It's been a good exercise in character building, and I am able to apply the lessons I've learned from these animals to a lot of other aspects of my life.
I don't have kids, but I now live at a riding facility with more than sixty horses, and there are lots of kids who ride and train here. One of my favorite passtimes, aside from just observing the behaviour of the horses in the pasture, is watching the kids learn to ride. I love to help the new riders learn how to care for and build bonds with the horses, and one of my favorite things is showing the children how to observe the way horses communicate, and how to eliminate their fears so they can enjoy the privilege of being friends with animals that outweigh them by a factor or twenty. I guess I must be pretty good at that, because just yesterday I had a gang of ten-year-olds follow me out to the pasture to sit in the sun and talk about what the horses seemed to be doing and why. I think I'm probably unwittingly mentoring a group of little animal behaviorists and future vets. That's a pretty cool thing.
And here's the coolest thing. My beloved mare just had her first foal six weeks ago. A beautiful stompy little colt with an enormous personality. It's my first attempt at breeding and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. He's the most wonderful and amazing little creature. And the fact that my horse trusted me enough to assist her with his birth and immediately let me handle her baby was, to me, absolutely awesome.
It will make me very happy to someday give him up to someone who will get as much pleasur
I wasn't one of those horse-crazy kids who dreamed of having a pony. I always been fascinated with animals, and amazed by people who could really handle horses well. I thought riding would be fun, but I didn't spend my days hanging around stables shovelling poop just for the privilege of sitting on one. I suppose if there had been places like that in our neighborhood at the time, I might have discovered my passion earlier in life. But my exposure to horses as a kid was mainly through friends who lived on farms and ranches. We used to ride the horses there, but they were mostly cranky, undisciplined and seldom ridden, with ill-fitting saddles and such. So my childhood experience with horses, while it was fun, involved a lot of getting bucked off, thrown, and run away with. There was no opportunity to really learn proper horsmanship. When a kid stopped falling off, everyone assumed they had learned to ride.In my twenties, I ended up working for a while for a publishing house that produced some of the well-known horse magazines. Through that job, I was exposed to the more serious side of riding, and realized just how little I actually had learned. I'd have loved to take up the sport seriously after that, but my work didn't allow me the time or allow me to live in places where there were horses and good trainers.When I moved to Germany I discovered that the horses and the riding school here are widely considered the best in the world. And better yet, they are everywhere and they are affordable. Riding is one of the most popular sports in this country, and if you want to ride well there is an abundance of amazing professional training available. So I worked like a maniac for about six years to get to the point where I could cash out of my "real" career and pursue that dream. It wasn't easy! Sport horse riding is incredibly strenuous and difficult to learn as an adult. But I am proud to say that I stuck with it, ended up buying a wonderful horse of my own, and it has become a true passion as well as the foundation a whole new career. I guess maybe it's a little like the men who have a mid-life crisis and buy a fancy sports car. The upside is that it's a healthier preoccupation that actually keeps you in shape. The downside is that horses actually require as much fuel and more maintenance than cars and it's not much cheaper.Interestingly, the thing I discovered about riding, as opposed to other sports, is that when there is a living animal involved the incentive to stick with it through thick and thin (for me at least) is much greater. I actually find handling and caring for the animals as rewarding as the accomplishments I've made as a rider. And when you form a solid relationship with a horse, it is an amazing thing. I will never cease to be awed that such a powerful, self-willed animal will befriend me, allow me to sit on its back, and happily do what I ask. It has given me a completely fresh perspective on the idea of a true partnership. Interacting with a horse, and doing it properly in a way that respects and preserves the inherent nature of the animal, is an incredible exercise in patience, observation, and trust. They are enormous and very clever animals with astonishing social skills and keen judgement. If you don't give a horse the respect it deserves it has no reason to trust you, and no measure of persuasion will convince them that the relationship is worthwhile. So for me, the trust, gentleness, and willingness of the horses I handle is a precious thing and something I am very proud of. The way I see it, it is all about the animal, whether they are accepting of my presence, and whether they choose to cooperate with me of their own free will. It's been a good exercise in character building, and I am able to apply the lessons I've learned from these animals to a lot of other aspects of my life.
I don't have kids, but I now live at a riding facility with more than sixty horses, and there are lots of kids who ride and train here. One of my favorite passtimes, aside from just observing the behaviour of the horses in the pasture, is watching the kids learn to ride. I love to help the new riders learn how to care for and build bonds with the horses, and one of my favorite things is showing the children how to observe the way horses communicate, and how to eliminate their fears so they can enjoy the privilege of being friends with animals that outweigh them by a factor or twenty. I guess I must be pretty good at that, because just yesterday I had a gang of ten-year-olds follow me out to the pasture to sit in the sun and talk about what the horses seemed to be doing and why. I think I'm probably unwittingly mentoring a group of little animal behaviorists and future vets. That's a pretty cool thing.
And here's the coolest thing. My beloved mare just had her first foal six weeks ago. A beautiful stompy little colt with an enormous personality. It's my first attempt at breeding and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. He's the most wonderful and amazing little creature. And the fact that my horse trusted me enough to assist her with his birth and immediately let me handle her baby was, to me, absolutely awesome.
It will make me very happy to someday give him up to someone who will get as much pleasur
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