Equestrian Studies

Years ago, I used to study there, as a student of equestrian studies. What you are thinking, at least what I hope you are thinking, is 'what the fuck?'

I went there twice a week. My teacher was the totally adorable Sumter Hazard. NO, this is not a character out of a Harry Potter novel (I cannot believe I just referred to a J.K.Rowling book as a 'novel'). Sumter was, and remains, my teacher of all things 'horse'.

This is English 'balanced seat' riding. The saddle is very small and light. It has no 'horn' (the thing you hold onto on a Western saddle). Nor reins. You grab hold of the horse's main (it's OK, the horse is used to it). You do not try to stay seated in the saddle, as you DO in Western riding, but rather, you 'bounce' up and down in it. This takes a lot of practice.

You learn to walk, canter, trot, and finally, if you are lucky, gallop.

AND THEN, you learn to JUMP!

Jumping is where is gets really fucking scary. At first, you learn blinded, with both arms out-spread... like you are flying through the air, which of course in fact you are about to do.

You have to put complete trust in the horse, because he/she is going to do the jump, not you. You are just going to pray, big time.

I never had a horse let me down.

My favorite mount was, and still is, Tecumseh. He has only one eye. A riding accident caused him to lose his left eye. He just had a 'socket' there. It didn't seem to bother him, not that he could talk to me about it, but when riding him, there was and still is a kind of mutual agreement. When I ride him, I AM his left eye. He cannot see in that direction, SOOOO he depends upon me to not lead him over a cliff.

This is a big responsibility, as neither one of us wants to leap into the Reichenberg Falls. We do not want that final solution to our problems.

When you are riding 'balanced seat', all of your directions to the horse are via calves and feet. Actually, you do not use your arms or hands at all, except to hold onto the horse's mane.

I also insist on doing my own 'tack'. 'Tacking' is the preparation of the mount ... brushing, saddling, placing the bit (which can be a little scary, as you are forcing the horses' mouth open to position this iron rod. You just know the horse just wants to bite off a few of your fingers.

If'n you don't tack properly, you are just begging for a 'Christopher Reeves' to happen.

Anyway, that was longer than I anticipated. Good Night for now.

Be good ... or at least Be Careful..

 R

Western to the left, English to the right.

Rich Romano

richardjromano@gmail.com
(845) 518-7982

	0 AM (20 minutes ago)