Riding Skills In The Real World
Something I have learned while riding is that a lot of the skills I use while I ride are skills that are useful in my daily life.
Whether it's an emotional skill like confidence or a physical skill like physical strength, riding has undoubtably helped me a lot in how I go about the world.
Take it from this article, written by a father who has a daughter who grew up with horses. He lists that his then 16-year-old daughter learned about compassion, responsibility, appearance, sex, the value of money, independence, sportsmanship, self-esteem, reading personalities and planning, all because she was surrounded by horses when she was younger.
Horses truly do teach us how to be versatile in our skills, and they can prepare us for any situation that comes into life.
Check-In
I've been loving my job so far!
The field is definitely a tiring one, but I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of things.
I took my notes home from the first week and practiced check-ins on my Corgi plush pillow. I know, it sounds strange, but it actually really helped to visualize and practice out-loud how the conversation is supposed to flow.
And when I practiced for the first time with my practice manager, I felt very prepared and more confident.
The perks of my job are starting to show as well. I got to meet some cute puppies which was the highlight of my week.
Riding has been awesome so far, despite the hot and humid weather.
My Thursday evening lesson was interesting to say the least. The power went out at the barn right as I arrived (we had some terrible storms come through this past week), and because there was lightning outside, we had to ride in the dark indoor arena.
I was also riding a very hyper Houdini, so I really had to use my focus and steering skills.
Saturday's lesson was also interesting... more chaotic.
It was so humid outside that the horses didn't want to do much. I had Chance canter maybe a lap or two around the arena, and then the rest of the lesson was a trail ride.
I helped out with the next trail ride, and Chance decided to be a golden retriever and take a full plant branch home with him. Then Blanca decided she wanted a chomp out of a nearby tree, and took her rider into the tree with her. And then Ranger decided he wanted to stay away from the shenanigans, so he took his rider into an open paddock.
I then watched my friend take her assessment ride (we have assessment rides for those who have had some riding experience, so they can be potentially placed in a higher level). I'm excited to find out what level the barn will place her in since she was trotting and cantering fine in her assessment ride!
Using Skills From Riding In The Real World
Believe it or not, horseback riding has helped me enhance or develop skills that translate well to my everyday life.
I feel like this is something we don't often think about until it's mentioned. It's kind of something that sneaks its way in, and you realize how much of a better and well-rounded person you've become later on.
For me, I've learned so much about leadership, communication, confidence and my reaction to feedback because of horseback riding.
Before I started riding, I was the shy girl in the back who never complained about a thing. I had this fear of getting into trouble if I was struggling or if I didn't like something, but spoke out about it.
But since I started riding, I've begun to find my own voice. I've begun to understand that it's OK to have negative emotions, and to speak up if something doesn't feel right. I've learned that correcting the wrongs right away is the best route to take.
I've also learned that it's OK to use actions and words when expressing something. Actions are a powerful tool, and being able to openly use my actions while using my words has really helped me with self-esteem.
I'm more confident because of riding, and additionally, I am able to find ways to help myself feel more confident.
For example, my job training. That first week, I was overwhelmed with all the things I needed to learn how to do. But I took my notes home and practiced what I could in order to feel more confident and relaxed.
It's the same thing in riding. Learning how to canter was a lot for me, especially because I had fallen off during my first attempt to canter. But every time I got back in the saddle to try again, I felt more and more relaxed, which then was the key to confidence and asking for the canter without any problems.
From actively taking riding lessons, I found out that I respond best to encouragement rather than harsh constructive criticism, and how my trainers are the epitome of how I prefer leadership to be.
My Saturday morning trainer, Clara (shout out — she listens to my podcast, so hi bestie), was so collaborative with me when working on asking for the canter comfortably and confidently.
She saw my first fall, so she put me on my favorite horse, Chance. Then we switched to a horse that had a smoother gait. And finally, the horse that clicked, was the one who was speedy.
I remember so clearly when Clara asked me what I felt was holding me back. This was around the time when I was cantering two strides and going back to the trot.
When I told her I felt scared of the new and faster gait, she paired me up with Houdini because she knew my fear would only make him go faster, and that I needed to relax in order to feel confident.
Clara has also encouraged me to learn how to canter by reminding me of my goals.
I remember when she said, and I quote: "I want you to be able to jump, so we have to canter in order to do that."
That's the kind of encouragement that I love. Reminding me of my goals and helping me achieve them, all while making sure I'm staying safe.
I thrive in environments that encourage learning with the same or a similar end-goal.
One of the reasons why I love my job is because I'm with a training team where we can lean on each other because we're in the same boat of learning.
Similarly, I love my Thursday evening lessons because we're generally all adults who have the same reason as to why we ride.
I have also learned, developed or enhanced a lot of physical skills while riding.
This may sound weird, but I actually drive a car better because of riding.
Riding has taught me about safe distancing, looking where I want to go before I begin to steer and focusing on one thing. These are all skills that I take with me when I'm on the road.
I've enhanced my rhythm and balance skills, which were already developed from dance. My core strength has gotten much better and I am more comfortable with moving with my horse as one when I go through each gait.
I also feel stronger overall. Where I'm at in my training, riding is a full-body workout for me. In every lesson, I'm exercising my arms, my thighs, my calves, my hips, my core and my glutes. I'm even exercising my mind by thinking about 10 different technique things for each gait.
Even when you're not in the saddle, having to carry tack across the barn, tightening the girth and putting a bridle on requires some physical activity. (I dare you to try to secure small leather straps into a tight loop while there's an 80% humidity level outside... trust me, it's harder than it sounds.)
The other day, I actually impressed my dad because I was able to successfully get the lid off of a brand new jelly jar by myself.
Riding has not only been such a joy in my life, but it's also been so cool to see how much my daily life skills have enhanced due to horses.
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