Was that intentional? Part I

Over the past several weeks, getting to know Belle as my new lesson horse, I have discovered how very sensitive horses are to our intentions. During one lesson, it seemed Belle was hardly willing to walk for the young rider, even when the rider took both legs off her sides and kicked. At first, I felt frustrated with her lack of energy and willingness. However, as I evaluated what was going on, I realized she slowed or turned towards me when the student leaned forward or gave an aid that was half/hearted. I realized she was questioning the intention or meaning and was looking for more direction.

What does it take to ride with clear, confident intentions? If you get a response from the horse other than what you intended, does that mean the horse misunderstood? Or were your intentions unclear? Did you have an emotion tied to what you were asking the horse? How might that cloud your intentions?

I believe when we ride our vestibular systems and proprioception become interconnected with the horse. It is quite possible that we become even more interconnected when the horse and rider begin to really trust each other and gain strength and balance. It makes me think of the connection made in the movie Avatar between the Dragon and Na’vi, humanoid character.

Next time you ride, keep these ideas and questions in mind. I look forward to delving deeper into this topic in Part II.