There’s something that horses have that doesn’t exist in other animals.
And to this day, I can’t put my finger on what it is.
Their free expression in movement captures our attention, their sense of family, their elegance... Each individual pays attention to the part they most admire. However, we add gadgets, saddles, put metal in their mouths and on their feet, the rider continually gives commands and we forget what it was that we saw in childhood; that purity and innocent admiration...
And when a child is born with that adoration for the horse, the parents' only option is to take their child to ride at an equestrian center. I don't know if you remember that first experience. Mine was like this: When I arrived the horse was already brushed, saddled and was ready to ride.
They took the horse to the arena, I jumped on board and the class began.
Riding is one thing and the horse is another. There is something not quite right. Can’t we expect more from the world of equitation than just teaching a child who is passionate about horses to ride? Although there is more and more openness in this regard, I still see many failures.
Let's look at a more holistic example; a child comes, you explain to him how to interact with the horse, how to work as a team, how his herd operates, his need for company, space, forage, the duration of his naps, how they sleep, how sensitive and subtle they are, how we will use the tack, how to put the saddle on it and know if it fits well ... and then, after learning all of this, the child gets on the horse. Would it seem more appropriate? Would it seem kinder to both child and horse? Would the child have empathy?
What would then happen if we took the child to see stabled horses with restrictions of space, movement, company and pasture?
We have a large task ahead of us if we consider that every child who likes horses first experiences a merry-go-round with inverted horses, with open mouths, with ears back …
Though we may not be aware of it, our eyes are accustomed to seeing suffering in horses from the first minute.
Our job here is to extend the knowledge of ethology, teach and apply empathy and spread the knowledge as far and wide as possible.
That today's children can approach horses in this way will make them grow emotionally, help them understand their essence and they will be much more respectful.
Riding should be very gentle, allowing the horse to move freely under the rider and not in spite of him. Our body must be relaxed and we have to be aware of every movement, every breath, every intention. The two must become one.
Sandra de Isidro, September 2021
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