12/18/2024
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A woman recently came to me asking how quickly she could learn to canter. Her plan was to take just a couple of lessons, then find a horse to practice onโessentially bypassing the depth of the learning process. The way she framed her question made it clear she saw riding as a task to be rushed, a box to check, much like assembling a burger at a fast-food chain: quick, standardized, and efficient. On the horse, off the horse, no time wasted.
But hereโs the truth: horsemanship is not a factory line. Itโs not about stamping out a product in record time or skipping foundational steps. Riding isnโt about simply sitting on a horse and pressing the right buttons to get results. Itโs a craft, an art, and, at its best, a lifestyle. A true horseman is more like a Michelin-starred chef than a McDonaldโs worker. Chefs spend years learning to season, to taste, to adjust. They donโt rush through their recipes, and they donโt cut corners. Instead, they invest in mastering their tools, honing their intuition, and crafting each dish with care and precision.
Similarly, a skilled rider invests in their education. Lessons are the school; they build the foundation. The knowledge you gain through time, effort, and repetition is your seasoning. Itโs how you learn to communicate with the horseโto listen as much as you direct, to understand and refine your aids. And the end result? A successful rideโa seamless partnership between horse and riderโis your star dish, your masterpiece.
You canโt achieve that level of excellence by rushing the process or taking shortcuts. A McDonaldโs skill set will never create a Michelin-star meal, just as a rushed, shallow approach to riding will never create a true horseman. So, invest in yourself. Take the time to learn, to grow, and to embrace the process. After all, horsemanship is not about reaching a destination quicklyโitโs about savoring the journey and the relationship you build along the way.
- Shannen Borges
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