When it comes to getting on a horse, there’s a lot of things you are best off not learning first-hand, but instead from other folks’ experiences. Some people just have it down and it looks like their horses are patient and calm about the effortless way their riders step up there. Others can be seen hopping along on one leg while the horse begins the ride without them. This can lead to some undesired endings, that’s for sure!
Sometimes the horse leaves early because he knows something painful is coming. Maybe this is the heavy way the rider leads in the saddle or pulls the saddle off center getting up there too slowly. Some people accidentally use the reins on the way up, hurting the mouth. If the rider had no other examples to go by except watching Westerns on the television, she might think it’s OK to slam down on the saddle in a hurry, jerk the horses head in the direction of travel, and then give them a swift kick to get going. NONE OF THIS IS OK WITH THE HORSE!
There’s more to this in the current issue of the Times Virginian newspaper. Support local journalism by purchasing the issue at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition or view the full article in the e-edition version.
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