Love for the horses: an endless feeling

Love for the horses is a subject very often analyzed among horse addicted.

Love for the horses is the absolutely paramount feeling which makes us into riders. It should be the only feeling which motivates us to deal with horses and strive for happiness in the saddle, in complete harmony with the horse. Without this deep feeling, which you should sense with every horse, you will never be a good rider. Of course there are horses to which one feels more naturally attracted than others, but basically it is important to experience a sense of love for all horses. This love causes us always to direct our thoughts and actions towards ensuring that our horse feels good: finding the best livery yard, where the horse feels comfortable, selecting the best rider, without letting personal interests take priority, looking after it and training it as well as possible and trying to recognize its requirements and to satisfy them.

A horse's face always conveys clearly whether it is loved by its owner or simply used. Whether a horse raises its head in a friendly way when you approach and looks at you calmly, or stands facing into the corner of the box with its head hanging apathetically, says everything. I would even venture to say that horses which are really loved and respected live longer and remain more healthy.

Indeed it is from the love and respect which you feel for your horse that the patience ensues which you require with the horse as well as with yourself in order to achieve your aims. Without patient repetition of individual learning steps and frequent praising, you will not achieve anything in riding. Because one single outbreak of impatience and uncontrolled behaviour can shatter the relationship with your horse on the long term or even completely ruin it for good. In all likelyhood, your horse did not understand you properly and does not really know what to think of your sudden and unexpected behaviour. Thus in such a moment it looses its trust in you. Trust, however, is the basis of every relationship! Your love of the horse also makes you want to present it in the best way possible, either at home or in front of a lot of spectators, at a show or a competition. It is your horse which should be in the foreground. Its ability, its elegance and its grace is what you would like to present, and in doing so you accompany it harmoniously and elegantly. You, as a human being, are not presenting yourself or even try to dominate the picture. No, you merge with the horse and, in a clever way, try to direct the eye of the observer to the main actor - your horse.

If it is your aim to present your horse in public, then look for one which you would like to train and present, but on no account should you pursue this aim in order to present yourself. Equestrianism does not tollerate this form of misuse and alert spectators are also quick to recognise it.

Riding as a hobby also represents an obligation to a certain seriousness and should not be done at a superficial level. Always consider that you are dealing with a living creature which is dependent on the human being.

Anyone who wants to practise equestrianism should really be obsessed with it. Idealism and limitless passion should be deeply rooted. Anyone who would like to earn his money with horses should distance himself mentally from the idea of an 8 to 10 hour day, a 5 day-week and regular holidays. Horses need to be looked after all the time, sometimes even need someone to be with them during the night or get injured just on Christmas day etc. Furthermore, you as a rider or a riding instructor are offering a service in the area of leisure, i.e. most of your customers only have time for their hobby in the evening, at the week end or on public holidays and would particularly like to take their lessons during these time. If you would like to achieve anything you, therefore, have to work during this period when other people are free , not instead of normal working hours but in addition to them. In order to maintain this pensum over the years you need endless passion and endless love for the horses as living creature. Wether you are a leisure rider or a professional, make sure that everything you do with horses, you do as a labour of love.

Fm the book In Deference by Anja Beran edited by WuWei Verlag

I reported an extract of this interesting book and decided to choose the chapter about our endless love for the horses because I think we, horse lovers, all ask ourselves sometimes why we are like that and sometimes to know that we all behave in the same way (a way that only this endless love for the horses can explain) can be quite reassuring! Cristina Libardi De Marchi