Have you ever wondered if horseback riding is a simple as taking two steps? Those who are uneducated when it comes to horses could easily assume this. Some people just see horseback riding as something anyone could do like riding a bike; they see riders as preppy people who don’t have to work for their skill. Horseback riding is nothing like riding a bike, it is not even close to as simple as taking two steps, it takes balance, perseverance, patience, a really strong work ethic, and a undeniable love for animals.

Balance is definitely a fundamental part of riding horses. It is something that comes after years of experience; there is an old cowboy saying that is, “you have to fall off a hundred times before you’re a good rider.” From my experience growing up riding horses for as long as I can remember, this is definitely true when it comes to riding. Falling off not only teaches you what you’re doing wrong, but also diminishes any ego that you may have started to obtain, ego is not something that you want to have with horses. And eventually after at least a few years of experience you will be able to feel when a horse is going to do something to get you off before they do it, therefore canceling your previously scheduled date with the dirt.

Perseverance and patience are essential when dealing with any animal, especially horses. Anyone who wants to get into horses has to have a whole lot of perseverance to stick with it for longer than two seconds. The process of taking care of a horse, as well as getting them ready to ride and cleaning them up afterwards is a long and hard path. Patience is very important because a horse always remembers when you do something to hurt them, and let me tell you they hold a grudge. Horses will always make mistakes, sometimes purposely, sometimes not, and you need to take a step back from yourself, take a breath and respond without overreacting which is the most challenging part for some people. Sometimes a horse will purposely continue with the same bad behavior for whatever reason they feel like, and patience quickly wears thin. If you overreact, and thereby overcorrect, you will have a heck of time getting that horse to trust again. Trust is everything in the relationship between a horse and a human; a horse will not let you anywhere near them let alone on them if they don’t trust you. Horses are delicate creatures, just like humans, they seek a trustworthy partner.

If you don’t love animals with all your heart, you have no business going anywhere near a horse. They can sense if you don’t like them, and will act accordingly. Some will run away from you, and others will not be so nice about it, they’ll chase you which can be a very scary thing when you have a thousand pound animal chasing after you. I find it kind of hilarious, but then again it’s never happened to me.

Horseback riding requires you to have a big heart, an irrefutable determination to learn, patience, and off course balance. Horses are beautiful, loving, astounding creatures that will give you their heart if you offer yours in return. Riding is like flying, you need more than just yourself to do it. With flying you need a machine, but with riding you a need a horse which is much harder to control than a machine. Horseback riding is a delicate skill set that takes years, if not an entire lifetime to master, even then it’s nearly impossible to completely master every aspect of it.