21/12/2024
Again we face criticism about the way we do things because of our apparent “lack of safety”. But here’s the thing… look at our safety record? Luisa has NEVER been thrown from a horse since we met almost 6 years ago and never suffered an injury as a result of horses and in 3 years of crazy adventures with Marengo “often very drunk” I’ve had zero injuries or incidents.
Perceived safety vrs learning to do dangerous acts SAFELY.
What’s better? Getting shot wearing body armour? Or… not getting shot in the first place? Pretty simple question right?
And that right there is how we view horsemanship.
With horses Luisa’s success is based off her ability to make smart decisions. She DOES NOT take unnecessary risks, she doesn’t rush things, and when she feels it’s needed she will take safety precautions such as a helmet and armour. But the REAL secret to staying safe on a horse…
It’s comfort.
Sorry guys, but there’s no nice way to say if you’re 90kg and nervous on my horse… you’re going to get injured BADLY in under a minute. But 65kg and confident… he’s a spicy guy with a heart of gold.
Put a thistle under your saddle blanket, girth up, and see what happens. Yep. You’ll be flying through the air in no time. So… how do you think it feels when your saddle fits like s**t?
My point is Luisa is 53kg, CONFIDENT, capable and a BORN HORSEMAN. She reads every single emotion coming from the horse but most importantly imparts HER ENERGY into the horse. That instinct that causes a horse to lash out and act a fool is quietly munching hay in a corner as Luisa’s heart rate is as calm as her soothing words.
If you are overweight, poorly educated, have cheap ill fitting tac and a poor relationship with your horse then your helmet and armour all covered in high vis are as useful as a bullet proof vest on the front lines of the conflict in Ukraine. You may “feel” safer, but a Russian 152mm shell will make you into a stain on the snow just as a horse that wants to throw you will bin you no matter what you try.
Riding horses IS DANGEROUS… but it’s a lot more dangerous when YOU fail to make your horse comfortable under saddle, and comfortable WITH YOU.
Remember, when anything goes wrong you DO NOT blame the horse, you look at what YOU could have done differently. The idea is we do NOT have dangerous incidents with our horses, rather than protecting ourselves in case we do.
Does that make sense guys? Pictures is Luisa with the wild 3 year old stallion she started in Georgia.
