Magic

That Magical Feeling:

When a horse “gets it”!

You know those lightbulb moments that you happen upon in life? When you go, “Oh. I get it now.” and proceed and life is suddenly better and you feel accomplished at learning a better technique or something of the sort. Horse people, y’all understand this, I know. It is when your trainer keeps yelling at you to fix your riding position and you keep fighting with your body and then, suddenly… WHAMMO you’re sitting up straight ;) and your horse suddenly feels show-worthy. Or how about when you get that feeling and think “So THIS is what a “insert-name-of-fancy-dressage-movement-here” feels like!” I live for those flashing lightbulbs. It’s even better when it is something you have been trying to learn and been struggling to achieve. It makes all the sweat and frustration worth it. At least it my eyes it does. And it should for you to!

The good thing about a lightbulb moment is that it lasts long enough for you to grin and rejoice but not long enough for you to bask in its glory and get a large ego. Because, well you know dressage, if it’s not one thing it’s another and you never stop learning.

I have found that horses have lightbulb moments, too. During the past year, I have had the opportunity to work with many horses that are just learning the ropes of basic riding and dressage. Although some of them are born ready and literally flow along in a round fashion the first time you ask them to trot in the round pen, most of the “greenies” do a lot of muddling through the aids while trying to figure out what the heck you are doing on their back. I’ve worked with horses that I’ve had to hit and kick over and over to get them to take a single step then one day a lightbulb flashed above their head and I swear I could hear them think, “Oh okay, kick means go forward. Got it!” And then we move up onto the next block on the training flight of stairs. This particular lightbulb moment was very cool to me because I immediately felt the change. And boy did it feel good! So let me give you a little background. I’ll try to keep it short, promise!

The horse in question is a very endearing black and white pinto random cross-breed named Oscar. He’s had a handful of rides and is here for a month of training with me and my fellow intern. My first workout with him showed me that he needed to understand that when I told him to go, I meant GO FORWARD WITH ENTHUSIASIM not tralaladeedum jogtrot. I believe today was Oscar’s seventh ride here. The difference from where we started is already rather drastic in the best way possible. Lunging in side reins is improved with a few bobbles here and there, the forward motion is very much understood, and he finally yields to pressure. I, personally, felt that once we were able to establish forward, obedience, and acceptance of a light contact, that the roundness would come. And for once, I was right!
Today’s ride started off normally enough. Got into one argument on the lunge line in which Oscar attempted to lunge me instead, but once I showed him that no, I was not going to be lunged, he put on his “yes ma’am, but I really think this is a lot of hard work, you are a meanie” face and I got on him.

I worked on making sure that I was using my outside aids to turn him and we did w/t/c, halt, transitions, and circle-y figures. After our brief canters, I shortened my reins up to the next rein stop and pushed Oscar into a slightly more steady contact. “Whoa, something feels different!” I thought and looked across the arena into the mirrors. Imagine my delight at seeing a round pony reflected there! I tried to maintain this glorious feeling and realized that what I was feeling was the pleasant weight of a horse that was supple, soft, and on the bit in my hands and the other marvelous feeling was due to Oscar’s back now being lifted up underneath the saddle. Compare that to the jigging of a horse with its mouth sometimes gaping against the contact and head lifted up, thus making his back a hollow for me to bounce in. Mental image comparison for the win.

Oscar had his lightbulb moment (it will be one of many)!

It didn’t last very long. He thought it was hard work using different muscles than he was used to. But I just gently asked for him to lift his back again and we got intermittent bursts of beautifulness. He got it. He knew what I wanted. It was training. It was progress. I do love my job. To me, a big part of dressage and training in general is stringing together these lightbulb moments to create a “glowing” harmony between horse and rider.