Anxiety and exhilaration entered our bodies, as we tried to control these magnificent creatures. The horse drill team encouraged us as we crept down the hazy, dirt road. Experiencing the struggles of directing a horse first hand, allowed us to truly appreciate the level of commitment these riders had for their leisurely passion, but as the sun set and the dust settled on that peaceful ranch, one thing became clear; the team loved their horses and they cared for each other dearly. The cold, crisp air grazed across our backs as we arrived to our broker’s house on September 25. The seemingly endless landscape of farmland felt foreign to our upbringing in the suburbs. We greeted our broker, Janice, and her daughter; meanwhile, they prepared their
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Bending over to pick something up, she pulled her glute muscle. She couldn’t ride today, so she sat on the sideline with us; and she began to teach us many of the rules about horse riding. “Consistent speed, pacing, and spacing are imperative to good performances,” Linda quickly explained to us, seeming eager to expand our horse knowledge. The instructor has them work on slow trotting, fast trotting, and cantering (purposely galloping at a slow, controlled rate), which are all important.
We learned that, like humans, horses have a dominant side, right or left, and that they need to learn to be coordinated on both sides. Next they go over lead changes. There are two types of lead changes, the simple and the flying lead change. They mainly practiced the simple lead change today. While lead changing they have to canter, which was the emphasis of this particular practice. Cantering is of importance when it comes to speed control, their focus of the past few sessions according to Linda.
Linda was very active in helping us understand the mechanics of drill team. She critiqued all the horses and whether they used the correct lead foot or not. Tentatively, we listen to her as we try to absorb the …show more content…
They became super excited at the mention of this. Janice explained during our interview that the main reasons these women participate in this drill team are to elevate their equestrian skills, do performances, become better riders, learn a lot, and most of all have fun doing what they love. We associated their excited nature at the mention of the trail ride to their love of the hobby.
Once the planning finished, we finally got to try riding horses! Janice and her daughter held the horses for us as we mounted their backs. They lead the horses around for a little while as we tried our absolute hardest not to fall off. This completely new experience was terrifying, yet empowering at the same time. Being in control of such huge, magnificent animals gave us a great sense of pride. Interacting with the horses was much more fun than just observing from the side.
We said our final goodbyes; we thanked everyone for their kindness, openness, and hospitality. Although I never heard any stories about the ladies’ children, which I had anticipated, I was still thoroughly enveloped in my involvement there. The amount of enjoyment we actually felt while observing this fascinating group, could never have been expected. Our experience here was something we will never
Bending over to pick something up, she pulled her glute muscle. She couldn’t ride today, so she sat on the sideline with us; and she began to teach us many of the rules about horse riding. “Consistent speed, pacing, and spacing are imperative to good performances,” Linda quickly explained to us, seeming eager to expand our horse knowledge. The instructor has them work on slow trotting, fast trotting, and cantering (purposely galloping at a slow, controlled rate), which are all important.
We learned that, like humans, horses have a dominant side, right or left, and that they need to learn to be coordinated on both sides. Next they go over lead changes. There are two types of lead changes, the simple and the flying lead change. They mainly practiced the simple lead change today. While lead changing they have to canter, which was the emphasis of this particular practice. Cantering is of importance when it comes to speed control, their focus of the past few sessions according to Linda.
Linda was very active in helping us understand the mechanics of drill team. She critiqued all the horses and whether they used the correct lead foot or not. Tentatively, we listen to her as we try to absorb the …show more content…
They became super excited at the mention of this. Janice explained during our interview that the main reasons these women participate in this drill team are to elevate their equestrian skills, do performances, become better riders, learn a lot, and most of all have fun doing what they love. We associated their excited nature at the mention of the trail ride to their love of the hobby.
Once the planning finished, we finally got to try riding horses! Janice and her daughter held the horses for us as we mounted their backs. They lead the horses around for a little while as we tried our absolute hardest not to fall off. This completely new experience was terrifying, yet empowering at the same time. Being in control of such huge, magnificent animals gave us a great sense of pride. Interacting with the horses was much more fun than just observing from the side.
We said our final goodbyes; we thanked everyone for their kindness, openness, and hospitality. Although I never heard any stories about the ladies’ children, which I had anticipated, I was still thoroughly enveloped in my involvement there. The amount of enjoyment we actually felt while observing this fascinating group, could never have been expected. Our experience here was something we will never