“Horse riding is not a sport!”. “Don’t you just ride around in a circle over and over and over again?”. “Aren’t you afraid of the thousand-pound thing?”. Misconceptions surround the sport of horse riding so I am here to set things straight for all of my non-horse riding friends.
First off, horse riding is a sport. It is the reason for my thunder thighs and killer calves. While riding a horse you are constantly using your leg muscles to hold on and to direct the horse, your core to keep you up straight and stable, and your arms to keep your hands above the withers (for my non-horse friends that is where the horses neck meets between its body). Turns out, the average calories burned during an hour long horse ride is about 442 which is comparable to a normal workout. Add the warm weather and the wool suits we show in and you are bound to burn even more. If you do not believe that it is a sport take a lesson for yourself and experience the burn after your first full lesson. But beware as you will be hooked on the sport.
Horse riding is much more than controlling a horse while you ride around in a circle. It is all about the bond that is created between the rider and the horse. There is a trust there that you can never experience with another human. I can say from experience that the first horse I ever had this bond with changed my life. In the show ring she made me be the best I could be, she challenged me when she could and let me thrive when necessary. This is much more than just riding around in a circle. That horse was my rock and that is something that you can never replace.
Fear is relative. What is scarier than a 1,000 pound horse is a 500 pound pony. Ponies are the small dogs of the horse riding world, the ankle biters. Instead of biting your ankles, ponies bite your face, hands, clothing, anything they can reach with their tiny mouths. While they are cute to look at, they are an adventure to ride. Ponies are very special.
On the other hand, no a 1,000 pound animal is not scary at all. The irreplaceable bond that you have created erases the size differences and uncertainties. It is simply unexplainable. A horse has an interesting mind of its own, but once you know it, you will never be able to leave them.
The reality of being a horse rider is not what it seems to be and it is difficult to explain to anyone that hasn't experienced it for themselves. Being a horse rider is being apart of a crazy, loving, and irreplaceable community. The horse riding community has changed my life forever through all of the connections it offers and all the lessons that have been learned with it. Horse riding is putting all of your trust into a 1,000 pound animal. Being able to know that the horse could throw you to the ground any moment, but yet it does not. Horse riding is what gives you the thunder thighs and killer calves, which is the reason those designer boots don't fit too well. Horse riding is something that you have to do to understand completely. It is what makes me who I am.
Toes up. Heels down. Shoulders back. Chin up. Eyes forward. Sit. Breathe. Think. Ride.
