4-year-old named Pippa

The first horse I ever rode was a 4-year-old named Pippa. She was a pony and a gift from my parents when I turned four years old. My lessons were at the stable and my parents encouraged me, even when I felt nervous and unsure.

My first time jumping on Pippa, she trotted small cross rails in the ring. She jumped them with ease and I learned so much from her about how to approach difficult tasks with confidence.

I hadn’t ridden since the last day of high school, which had been over a decade before.

You might remember the first time you rode a horse. For most people, that first ride is one of their earliest memories, leading to a lifelong passion for riding and all things equestrian. This wasn’t the case for me.

Making that memory for myself was not a simple task as I had never ridden before and hadn’t even been on a horse since my last day of high school over ten years ago! To say I was nervous would have been an understatement, but I felt determined to give it my best shot.

Luckily I found a trainer who was willing and able to show me the ropes from the beginning if necessary; which turned out to be very necessary indeed! The trainer took me through some basic steps on how to tack up (get the horse ready) and then we went outside in order to get onto our four-legged friends.

Once we were both mounted, we began with something called ‘the long rein walk’ which is exactly what it sounds like: walking at an extended distance from your instructor while trying not to fall off. Despite having no experience at all, this wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be; but then again, maybe this feeling is just because everything seems easy when you are riding on top of a large animal that can crush you if it wanted to…

I sat still and let my horse, a retired racehorse named Adolphus, figure out what was to be done.

I found myself in the middle of an exercise, being given a set of show jumps to navigate. As we approached the first jump, I was told to sit still and let Adolphus figure out what was to be done.

Letting your horse take charge is a major key when you’re learning how to show jump. Most horses have a very strong fight or flight response and will listen for cues from their human counterparts to figure out which direction they should move in next. This means that if you tense up at all, your horse will sense it and get nervous too—which can result in getting thrown off or knocked over by some large piece of wood flying through the air! For example: You’re leading your horse around the ring when suddenly there’s another rider who has fallen off her mount directly into your path; do not panic! Just steer clear from where she landed and continue on as usual (this happened).

I started out walk/trotting and then moved up to trot/cantering around the course.

Once I’d been assigned my horse, we spent some time going over the basics and then we headed out to the course. I started by learning how to walk/trot around the course, and then trot/canter. Depending on your experience level, this may not be a problem for you, but if you’re a total beginner like me, it’s important to take it slow and build your confidence! We stopped at each jump and practiced going over them. It was nerve-wracking at first—I was afraid that I might fall off or that the horse would veer away from the jump at an awkward angle. However, after a few laps around the course I started to get comfortable with how my horse responded when we approached jumps. My instructor told me what each jump was called (oxer, double oxer) so that I could start getting familiar with them before our next lesson.

As I got more confident in Adolphus, my hands grew steady, my legs began to relax and follow his movement and the pace increased.

This was very exciting, but also very nerve-wracking.

I learned that if I relaxed my body, the horse can feel it and relax as well. When my hands were too tense, Adolphus would drop his head and become a bit slower to respond. My instructor told me that after about 20 minutes of riding at a walk and trot, your hands will naturally relax and your arms will hang loose from your shoulders. That’s when you know it’s time to increase the pace!

The first time Adolphus jumped over a higher jump (3ft), I nearly fell off! He took me completely by surprise. After trying it again a few more times, though, I was able to keep my balance by leaning forward into him with my upper body and holding onto the mane with both hands instead of just one.

As I picked up speed, going through the course from jump to jump, my pulse raced with excitement and incredulity that I was really doing this.

As I picked up speed, going through the course from jump to jump, my pulse raced with excitement and incredulity that I was really doing this. Some of the jumps were higher than me! It felt like a dream watching myself soar over them. The horse’s effortless ability to clear obstacles with ease boosted my confidence and sense of control. That day I learned that if you’re able to guide your horse over a jump, you can do anything—in life, in love, and on a horse.

After my first lesson was over, I had trouble sitting down [on a chair] because my legs were still shaking from all the fun we’d just had. I couldn’t believe what just happened! Jumping is an exhilarating experience that gives you a new perspective on your surroundings (and yourself) and allows you to learn something new every time you take a leap into the unknown (or known).

The final jump is always the same—it’s called a “coop” because it looks like one for chickens or rabbits—and as I approached it, Adolphus leapt so high into the air that he was nearly vertical.

The final jump was always the same—it’s called a “coop” because it looks like one for chickens or rabbits—and as I approached it, Adolphus leapt so high into the air that he was nearly vertical. When we landed, it was solid and graceful, and I felt as if I’d been riding him all my life. Most of all, I remember feeling exhilarated and in awe of what we had accomplished together.

The landing was solid and graceful.

Landing is equally important as the take off. After your horse has successfully jumped, they should land smoothly and continue to move forward.

Here are some things that you should keep in mind when landing:

• You should stay in the saddle, even after your horse has landed.
• You should be in the correct position for landing – ideally, you want to remain low over your horse’s neck.
• Your horse should land on the correct lead leg. Left lead for left fences and right lead for right fences. If your horse lands incorrectly or with a change of leads – it is called a ‘bounce’ or ‘roll-back’ and it is usually considered a fault in competition.

Riding gives you a different perspective on your familiar world.

You’re going to love jumping, because you get to see the world from a different perspective. Riding gives you a different perspective on your familiar world. As I began my lessons, it showed me that I need not be afraid of something new and unfamiliar. It took me off autopilot and gave me a chance to focus on the present moment rather than worrying about the past or what was coming next. (And jumping is all about the present.)

As my trainer often told me when I forgot myself during lessons, “What’s important is what’s happening now, not what happened five minutes ago or what’s going to happen two minutes from now.” Horseback riding is a great way to help you enjoy the moment and come away from an experience with more appreciation for the journey rather than only caring about reaching your destination.