Trust

This is an expanded look at the values I have learned from horses and the horse world as first described in the blog post: Why Use Horses?

I ride Hunter/Jumper horses, and for those of you who think one could just charm a 1200 pound animal around a ring, let me just put that idea to rest.  It takes strength and stamina for both horse and rider to negotiate a course, find balance in the turns, get the right number of strides, and find the optimum take-off point before the fence.  As a rider, I have to use every part of my body and be aware of each individual muscle in order to communicate effectively, smoothly, and efficiently to the horse.  Also, the horse has to be willing, responsive, obedient, and engaged in order to process those commands properly.  All of those factors come together to create a beautiful, fluid picture of grace and power in motion.