In the beginning...

Oh my goodness.

I do not like teaching beginners how to ride.

Don’t misunderstand me... I admire their effort.

And it can be very rewarding at times….

I just was not gifted in the vicinity of teaching beginners.... 

ESPECIALLY, when it comes to helpless beginners.

Helpless beginners are helpless.

(I know, so profound.)

They constantly blame the horse for not doing this or that.

These helpless riders accuse the horse of being stubborn or stupid.

When, in fact!! It is the rider’s ignorance and lack of effort that is the cause of the horse’s unwanted behavior.

So. Incredibly. Frustrating.

This is a valuable lesson that my mother ingrained into my mind ever since I began my career in riding: It’s always rider error.

If your horse is not turning,

If your horse is not bending,

If your horse is not going forward,

If your horse is not stopping…

It is absolutely

100%

always

the rider’s fault.

It’s like riding a bike for the first time and figuring out how to maneuver and break…. No one blames the bike for not stopping or turning.

I had to vent.

My apologies.