12/16/2024
This is an occasional request from prospective students here at CRF.
"Can I just learn to canter so I can go run?"
Nope. Not here anyway. It's like skipping drivers Ed and thinking you can just go race Formula one cars...
It's difficult to understand why a person wants to skip the process of becoming a legitimate rider. There is SO MUCH more to riding.
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 on—essentially 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 here’s the truth: horsemanship is not a factory line. It’s not about stamping out a product in record time or skipping foundational steps. Riding isn’t about simply sitting on a horse and pressing the right buttons to get results. It’s a craft, an art, and, at its best, a lifestyle. A true horseman is more like a Michelin-starred chef than a McDonald’s worker. Chefs spend years learning to season, to taste, to adjust. They don’t rush through their recipes, and they don’t 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. It’s how you learn to communicate with the horse—to listen as much as you direct, to understand and refine your aids. And the end result? A successful ride—a seamless partnership between horse and rider—is your star dish, your masterpiece.
You can’t achieve that level of excellence by rushing the process or taking shortcuts. A McDonald’s 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 quickly—it’s about savoring the journey and the relationship you build along the way.
- Shannen Borges
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