Personal Narrative Analysis

There have been too many times to count where a horse has taught me a lesson whether it be in the saddle or on the ground. But there are a few horses that have taught me lessons that I'll never forget. Specifically, there was one mare who was named Molly she is a twenty-year-old Saddlebred that was an ex-park horse. Like most stereotypical mares, Molly was more than just challenging to get around with on the ground and in the saddle. Under saddle as soon as you put your foot in the stirrup and pressed any weight into the stirrup you better be prepared to swing your leg over and ride because she was off at the canter or a trot. There was no such thing as a flat walk, nor did you get to choose the gait you rode, it seemed every second of

Behavioural development in animals undergoing domestication is characterized by changes in the quantitative rather than qualitative nature of responses (Price, 1999). When being ridden McGreevy et al., (2009) found that horses may be that at their most dangerous (e.g., when bolting and bucking), ridden horses have simply reverted to responses within the predator model. This is interesting because it suggests that no matter how ethologically parallel in-hand work may be, a ridden horse can later revert to these counter–predator responses, seemingly confirming that ridden work may not be emphatically within, the horse’s ethogram. It could also suggest that whatever performance enhancing products are used, will the horse just revert back to these behaviours regardless. This shows that when the dialogue between horses and humans is consistent there is a positive correlation with relaxation and rapport. Inter-specific communication may help the horses overcome their fear and therefore reduce the tendency to use counter-predator responses. When the horse shows something of its own intention, it is often seen from a human perspective to be undermining the human-horse interaction. What horse people erroneously consider examples of reasoning in their horses, turn out to be excellent examples of trial-and-error

In the space of two years, Kristine Hewlett was thrown from her mare, Cher and broker her back both times. The accidents occurred while Hewlett was at her riding lesson on her mare, Cher when the horse suddenly spooked. After having such bad luck with her horse and both of her injuries Hewlett still vows to ride again. “She said, ‘I have thought long and hard about my future but I love horses and I want to carry on taking lessons.’”(Evans) Kristine Hewlett is so passionate about her love for horses that even after suffering not one but two broken back injuries she still vows to ride again. “But despite her second scare she has vowed to carry on riding.”(Evans) For most people one broken back would be enough to stop them from living their dreams but not Kristine Hewlett. Hewlett’s second broken back injury has made her even more determined to get back on and be successful. “Kristine Hewlett was flung from nine-year-old mare Cher in November and suffered a spinal fracture but she has vowed to ride again.”(Evans) Kristine Hewlett is very confident in her own ability to have a solid recovery and get back on. Though Kristine Hewlett has had her fair share of injustice she has overcome this injustice through passion, determination, and

This year I got over my fear of horses. For my fifteenth birthday my aunt got me four weeks of horseback riding lessons. My lesson horses name was Skyjet. At first I was terrified of the horse and how big it was, but really it was one of the smallest ones there. I learned how to groom the horse on put all the gear on it. I learned how to 5-star which is when you go into a squat forward leaning position and stay like that, I learned how to post which is kind of like doing squats but instead of going down you are going up, also how to get the horse to trot and stop. To trot you say trot on kick the horse's side until it does. To stop you pull the reigns to you and release when they stop.

It was a warm mid-september day and I was preparing to go horseback riding for the very first time. I was celebrating my bestfriend’s birthday with her family and a couple other friends. On the ride over you could feel the jitters in the air and the excitement to try something new. We arrived to Bobby’s Ranch in Westford MA and settled on petting some of the other animals. It was all very bizarre, almost movie-like. We joked around about rookie mistakes and wondered how many of us were going to fall under it’s trap. The ride was scheduled to be an hour long, through the woods and in an orderly fashion. I got on top of a platform and was instructed on how to get up on the saddle and how to use the reins to guide the horse. The birthday girl

I didn 't have a split second to be scared, it just happened. My feet slipped out of their place in the saddle like they had been used to

I have met some very stubborn horses that years down the road I discovered had actually taught me so much more than any other horse ever would. That is what influenced me to take on the opportunity of buying and training a three-year-old unbroken arabian. He has come to teach me not only things about riding but also life-lessons. I have gained patience, trust and understanding from him. He is now six years old and despite the fact that some days I felt as if we would never get anywhere in our training he is now an excellent horse. Taking an animal that has never had a person on it before and making it completely calm and even excited to work with a person on it’s back is an incredible thing and I am happy to have been able to experience this.

“If you Climb in the Saddle be Ready for the Ride” (Unknown) If you have ever rode a horse I’m pretty sure that you have fallen off. It’s a scary thing but it’s part of the country life, if you fall down you get right back up. Well that’s if you didn’t hear a loud CRACK, but that not always an excuse to give up on what you truly love. If you ever break anything from being thrown off a horse, just remind yourself not to be reluctant of horses all of your life. You have to understand that not every horse is like that!

It was thirteen years ago that horseback riding was first introduced to me. One day, my friend asked me to go to camp with her over Thanksgiving break. It turned out to be the horse stables on Fort Gordon military base that hosted horse camps during the school breaks. I loved horses but had not been around them much. After weeks of trying to convince my mother that I was old enough, she agreed let me attend. The nerves kicked in shortly after roll was taken and we got to pick which horse we wanted. I did not know the horses personally so, my friend, Emily, recommended Hershey, an old bay mare with a crooked white stripe on her face.

I began horseback riding at age four, and my equestrian pursuits have not only shaped who I am as an individual, but have kept me grounded. Working as a groom to afford riding lessons instilled a work ethic within me that has contributed tremendously to my academic successes. Rescuing a horse at a young age, and caring for him no matter the circumstance, has given me a strong sense of commitment that translates to all avenues of my life. Besides shaping my character, being entirely responsible for my horse throughout college urged me to find a productive balance in my life. Learning to make time for hobbies and other activities outside of academics has greatly improved my overall well-being, and is a lesson that will be invaluable as I pursue

I was at a horseback riding place with my friends Helen and Annie about one year ago. They both knew how to ride a horse but I didn’t know. It’s my first time to ride one. When we got there I was a bit nervous.

I slipped my left foot into the stirrup and pushed off the ground swinging my right leg over the back of the horse. I took a moment and a deep breath in thinking back to a month before when I had taken a bad fall in a show, landing on my head, and getting a concussion. Sitting in the saddle I could feel my stomach turning and visions of falling off again kept reappearing in my mind. I had fallen off a handful of times before, but never that bad. I took grip of the reins and put pressure to the horse as I signaled for him to walk on. My confidence level had taken a toll, but step by step I was becoming less nervous and back to my old riding self.

There are many days that I believe I can just saddle up my horse and ride away into the sunset like the ending to a movie. It’s wonderful knowing what it takes to get to that level of success, and to an outsider, it may look like I am a great rider. In reality, I had to learn somewhere too. It comes with a process that will help with any ride; however, it won’t take away the unexpected situations that could ruin your “perfect” vision for that day. There’s a way to learn and develop your technique because learning to ride a horse is more than a process: It’s practice.

The ideal time to ride came rolling around at approximately six o’clock, when a chilly breeze picked up. Unprepared and starting to shiver, my older sister notified us that she was going to grab her coat from the house. She left my younger sister and I to deal with the horses which was easy, or so we thought that it was. Assuming that it was going to be an effortless task, I took my attention gradually away from the horses, and commenced a conversation with my sister. Totally forgetting about what I was supposed to be doing, I did not perceive that Dexter spooked and pulled back on the board that he was attached to. Turning around and seeing him rear up on his hind feet, shocked me and I froze. My mind went blank for a second, and when it came back, Dexter was darting so rapidly you would assume a bear was chasing him. I could see the fear in his eyes. He was terrified of the post he was dragging behind him. Not knowing what to do, I immediately yelled at the top of my lungs for my older sister. Never in my life has my heart beated so fast. Freaking out, panicking, stressing out, I attempted to grab Dexter’s lead rope, but him being a thoroughbred caused an issue. He was too quick for me to even get near him. I knew I had to something to calm him down, I didn’t want him to get hurt. This horse means the world to my sister, and I want to slow him down

Hi, I am Anna. I am a thirteen year girl who is fearless, but cautious. My horse, as you know, is Cowboy. He is a fast, quarter horse, mustang mix. On a Thursday afternoon, I told my mom I was going out for a quick ride. I saddled my horse up and, as I usually do, put a bucket and a water bottle on the side of the saddle, just in case I ever got lost. I thought I never would, but I strapped it on anyway. In the bucket was a couple of snacks for me and some snacks for Cowboy. I was even almost positive nothing would ever go wrong. But, was I wrong?