Getting Back in the Saddle
Today I accomplished something I have been thinking of doing for years.
I got back in the saddle. Literally.
I haven’t ridden a horse in well… lets just say a really long time. I’ve had my two beauties for a little over a year now and it has been wonderful to have horses back in my life. Neither can be ridden, but that’s ok. The work they do is different and our journey together is different.
Having horses that can’t be ridden is a good excuse not to ride. I mean you don’t need to ride to enjoy being around horses or build a connection to them. However I think it makes it easy for me not to think about some things when I am on the ground. Like my body. How it looks and feels. I would be lying if I said that the way I look and how I feel about my body didn’t hold me back or stop me from riding. I mean what if they tell me I can’t? Other concerns like will my body cope with the physical demands riding requires.
My fears around what other people would think, how I would look. Not to mention my own fears. On the ground, I don’t have to think about the fears I have around riding or why it can make me so nervous in the first place.
Despite all this I took the plunge and booked my lesson.
Yes I did worry they might tell me I can’t (they didn’t) or my body wouldn’t be able to handle it.
How did I go in the end? Actually pretty good. It felt weird and slightly uncomfortable at first. Oh my heels hurt like a b*tch from having to stretch down, which they have not had to do in a looong time. You would be surprised how much that hurt and it' was not something I was expecting. Sore leg muscles etc sure, was expecting that. My heels? I honestly didn’t even think about how I used my heels when riding, it used to be so second nature. I was surprised by how much I remembered.
I don’t want you to think that I was galloping around jumping fences in 10mins. Oh no. No where near. Mostly I was walking and getting used to being back in the saddle again. My lovely quiet mount Marlie, was perfectly behaved. I have a lot of work to do (and a lot of strength to rebuild), but I want to acknowledge what is such a small and simple thing really was a big step for me.
Oh and my dismount was less than Elegant. I ended up on my arse because my knees gave way. Yep. All grace right here.
So I want to ask you something. What is that thing that you have been thinking about doing, but putting off? That you tell yourself a million reason why you can’t or shouldn’t. That thing that you have been dying to do but are so worried about what other people will think or say.
What are the first steps you need to take?
If you would like support and some one who is going to cheer like a crazy person, I would love to talk to you. I love working with people like you. Big goals or small who want to do that thing they have always wanted to do, but maybe have some blocks around that. I can support you either in person with my herd or online. We can explore your ideas and your blocks. Our fears are not always based in reality and our Ego is very good at tying to keep us small.
What I learnt from feeling the fear and doing it anyway was that a lot of my fear was in my head. That actaully, I could. Ok I wasn’t a super star rider straight away, these things still take work, but I had fun and proved myself wrong.
Take the first step. Get in touch here.