In those moments on the ground, Audrey is getting a feel for her horse's mood that day. If he seems distracted, she is learning how to help him focus. If he seems sluggish, she is learning how to rev up his energy. If her horse seems anxious, she is learning how to calm him down. She is developing good leadership skills, while building a trusting bond with the horse. Most importantly, Audrey is practicing making good decisions for her both her own safety and her horse's.
Recently Audrey was riding in a semi-private lesson when her horse alerted to a commotion outside the arena and came to a sudden halt. She attempted to press him forward but the horse starting getting nervous. Beginning to feel a bit nervous herself, Audrey hopped down and took the horse through several exercises to calm and refocus the both of them. When she climbed back in the saddle, she was able to ride safely past the commotion which was still underway.
In comparison, it wasn't that long ago that I witnessed a seventeen year-old prepare for a riding lesson by walking her horse into the arena and climbing immediately into the saddle. Within seconds her horse took off, bolting full-speed for several harrowing laps around the arena before she managed to get him to stop. When the instructor arrived moments later and asked the shaken teenager what happened, she replied, "I don't know. He just took off. I could tell he was a little nervous when I was getting on, but I didn't expect that."
She probably would have seen it coming a mile away had she received the leadership education Audrey's been receiving. It's no fluke that one horse bolted and the other one didn't. Leadership education is the difference between a rider who is prepared to prevent a horse from panicking and one who isn't. It's the difference between a rider who solves behavior issues and a rider who has no idea she is causing them.
Ask Audrey what's her most important job as an equestrian and she'll tell you, "To keep myself and my horse safe." She knows the fun she has riding depends on it. I'm not sure what the seventeen year-old's answer would be, but I do know this: the longer she remains in riding lessons without developing some decent leadership skills, the greater her chances of getting injured.
Ask Audrey what's her most important job as an equestrian and she'll tell you, "To keep myself and my horse safe." She knows the fun she has riding depends on it. I'm not sure what the seventeen year-old's answer would be, but I do know this: the longer she remains in riding lessons without developing some decent leadership skills, the greater her chances of getting injured.
It doesn't have to take more than 15 minutes per lesson to help students develop good leadership skills. But, for leadership education to become normal in lesson programs, it most certainly takes riding instructors, students (of all ages) and parents understanding how crucial those 15 minutes are.
Please join the challenge to create a safer riding lesson industry.
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Excellent, More lesson barn should require this, and a lot of needless injuries would occur. The industry would look much safer to non horse people. Unfortunately recklessness is so common at many facilities, it looks "normal" to Joe public.
ReplyDeleteYep, Most riding accidents occur simply for lack of leadership education. I think as more lesson barns become aware of how easy it is to provide it, more will be inspired to offer it.
DeleteI hope that before they even get to the arena that they groom and tack their horse themselves, grooming helps create a bond between you and your horse. You can also tell what kind of a day your horse is having and what mood he/she is in.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that riders can learn so much about their horses while grooming and tacking up. It does help create a bond.
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