Riding pleasure – What is that?!

This is a topic that comes up quite often these days, and I believe it fluctuates for everyone from time to time—not necessarily because the love for the horse is less in some periods than others, but because it’s harder to have a horse in certain periods. It could be that the horse becomes injured or sick, which creates both worry and, often, the added pressure of goals and dreams associated with having a horse—this doesn’t necessarily just mean competitions, but could also include that beach ride you’ve always dreamed of, the foal you’ve always wanted, and so on.

Therefore, I want to start by focusing on horse joy, not just riding joy, because having a horse involves so many different aspects. I can only guess what horse joy means for others, so instead of doing that, I will share my own perspective on what horse joy means to me here on this slightly grey but lovely Monday morning.

Since my job is to train horses and help them progress in their education or give them an easier daily life, it’s been very helpful for me to define what’s important for me with the horses. This helps me stay focused on my goals and values regarding their training, especially in a busy and demanding everyday life, where there are many expectations. It’s easy for this to shift without me noticing or being aware of it. That’s why it’s important for me every day to stop and look at each horse and see if it’s actually doing well or on its way to getting better. Each horse has a different starting point when they arrive, and I don’t expect a horse to suddenly be fantastic overnight, especially if it comes with “baggage,” but steady and lasting progress is important. Therefore, it’s also important to enjoy the process and notice the small changes that happen day by day, or else the road to a harmonious and well-balanced horse can feel very long.

For me, something as simple as the horse walking over to me when I go to get it from the field is a sign that it wants to do something, and that gives me joy. I know that if this is not the case, then I need to change something in my training of the horse. It’s when a horse comes to me very distracted, with “ants in its head,” and slowly starts to find calmness in its training and daily routine. It’s when a horse, lacking work ethic due to not understanding our rules and respect, begins to seek out what the right answer is when I give it a task.

Currently, I have a horse in training that has undergone quite a mental (and physical) transformation in the most positive way. He has become overwhelmingly affectionate and attentive toward me, and he’s found great peace in rules, consistency, and reward—just as most do. No matter what I present to him, he wears his "yes hat." Therefore, it’s also a huge responsibility for me to ensure he continues to believe he can do anything, while understanding where his current "boundaries" are and gently pushing them forward without pushing him beyond what he can handle. Sometimes things can take time at first, but once a solid foundation is laid, things suddenly progress much faster. Another joy is when I have a horse in training and the owner (or another rider) is there to train with it. Even if the horse isn’t physically exhausted, but has mentally done its best to understand the signals given by a different rider or trainer, and even if it doesn’t fully understand, it still tries to solve the task without stress. It could also be when the vet is here to vaccinate a horse, and the horse is so relaxed that the vet can do it while the horse is lying down in the field, not because the horse lacks the energy for training, but simply because it feels good. This joy is also shared with the many wonderful owners I meet, where these relationships sometimes develop into good friendships. It surprised me a lot at first how much the basic level of good horse welfare can differ, and therefore, I never take it for granted when I meet people who truly want the best for their horses and act accordingly. Horses are surprisingly sensitive animals on so many levels, and if one aspect of their daily life isn’t working, it will quickly show in other areas. It requires a lot of time, effort, and money to keep a horse healthy and happy, so it’s very important to enjoy the small victories and remember that a victory is still a victory, even if it might not seem like a victory to someone else. It’s important to celebrate and be proud of what matters to you and not devalue it just because it might not be a victory that everyone can understand. It could be when the horse rolls for the first time because it has gained mobility and strength (which is not a given for all). It could be when the horse stands still in the trailer for the first time without being sweaty after the ride. It could be when you’ve been working on getting the horse to stand still while mounting, and it finally succeeds. It could be when the coat and muscles gradually improve. It could be when the horse is able to be alone in an arena for the first time without feeling isolated. It could be a horse that has been weaving and is starting to stop. It could be an “aha” moment during riding with something you’ve been working on for a long time. The definition of what constitutes a victory is very individual and depends on who you are as a person and which horse you have, but it is equally significant, whatever it may be. It’s only wonderful when you can celebrate each other’s victories.

Currently, I have a horse in training that has undergone quite a mental (and physical) transformation in the most positive way. He has become overwhelmingly affectionate and attentive toward me, and he’s found great peace in rules, consistency, and reward—just as most do. No matter what I present to him, he wears his "yes hat." Therefore, it’s also a huge responsibility for me to ensure he continues to believe he can do anything, while understanding where his current "boundaries" are and gently pushing them forward without pushing him beyond what he can handle. Sometimes things can take time at first, but once a solid foundation is laid, things suddenly progress much faster. Another joy is when I have a horse in training and the owner (or another rider) is there to train with it. Even if the horse isn’t physically exhausted, but has mentally done its best to understand the signals given by a different rider or trainer, and even if it doesn’t fully understand, it still tries to solve the task without stress. It could also be when the vet is here to vaccinate a horse, and the horse is so relaxed that the vet can do it while the horse is lying down in the field, not because the horse lacks the energy for training, but simply because it feels good. This joy is also shared with the many wonderful owners I meet, where these relationships sometimes develop into good friendships. It surprised me a lot at first how much the basic level of good horse welfare can differ, and therefore, I never take it for granted when I meet people who truly want the best for their horses and act accordingly. Horses are surprisingly sensitive animals on so many levels, and if one aspect of their daily life isn’t working, it will quickly show in other areas. It requires a lot of time, effort, and money to keep a horse healthy and happy, so it’s very important to enjoy the small victories and remember that a victory is still a victory, even if it might not seem like a victory to someone else. It’s important to celebrate and be proud of what matters to you and not devalue it just because it might not be a victory that everyone can understand. It could be when the horse rolls for the first time because it has gained mobility and strength (which is not a given for all). It could be when the horse stands still in the trailer for the first time without being sweaty after the ride. It could be when you’ve been working on getting the horse to stand still while mounting, and it finally succeeds. It could be when the coat and muscles gradually improve. It could be when the horse is able to be alone in an arena for the first time without feeling isolated. It could be a horse that has been weaving and is starting to stop. It could be an “aha” moment during riding with something you’ve been working on for a long time. The definition of what constitutes a victory is very individual and depends on who you are as a person and which horse you have, but it is equally significant, whatever it may be. It’s only wonderful when you can celebrate each other’s victories.

There’s so much to enjoy with horses, and it’s important to notice it all, both for the horse’s sake and your own. And it’s only lovely when you can share that joy with one another because it only makes the joy bigger.