My very first time
The very first time I sat on the back of a horse was during a holiday camp back in the Summer of 2006. There was a day where the activity was to go to a nearby stable and ride horses. I shall admit one of the main reasons I signed for that holiday camp (which I didn't really reckon at the time and still don't) was because of the horseback riding activity. There would exist no more excited person than me that day.
We went by bus, me plus the other students that also signed up. The arena was covered and enormous and there were two riding instructors with one horse each. The pack of students where I was integrated got to mount the biggest horse. Many people of the pack were saying that they had never been on a horse before and they were kind of scared even if we were going to be led by the instructors. I didn't say anything but I was definately not scared. I was excited to finally get to mount a horse.
I always liked horses. Since I was little I would ask my parents to take me to nearby stables so I just could watch the horses. A second degree cousin of my dad had two mares near our country house and I think they were the first horses I got close to. One was grey and the other a bay.
But that day, when my turn had finally come and I sat on the horse, a real passion was awaken inside me. From that moment, I knew I'd have to live around horses and ride. When I got home that day I started convicing my parents to take riding lessons and the next month, September, I started my weekly lessons on a riding school about 45 minutes from home, 30 minutes if we were lucky, one disadvantage of living in a city. It could take half a day, I didn't care. I just wanted to learn how to ride and be around horses. I took lessons for about a year and in that year I met unique horses which I will talk about below.
I like all kinds of equestrianism. I rode English but I like Western, Vaulting... whatever, as far as horses are involved! They all need that ounce of bravery, trust, friendship and all it takes. Every single one of them is special. That's how I see things.
Other thing I love is natural horsemanship. Wish I could learn a bit more about it. You can learn so much from horses just by watching them.
Riding and contacting with the Horse is truly an art.
We went by bus, me plus the other students that also signed up. The arena was covered and enormous and there were two riding instructors with one horse each. The pack of students where I was integrated got to mount the biggest horse. Many people of the pack were saying that they had never been on a horse before and they were kind of scared even if we were going to be led by the instructors. I didn't say anything but I was definately not scared. I was excited to finally get to mount a horse.
I always liked horses. Since I was little I would ask my parents to take me to nearby stables so I just could watch the horses. A second degree cousin of my dad had two mares near our country house and I think they were the first horses I got close to. One was grey and the other a bay.
But that day, when my turn had finally come and I sat on the horse, a real passion was awaken inside me. From that moment, I knew I'd have to live around horses and ride. When I got home that day I started convicing my parents to take riding lessons and the next month, September, I started my weekly lessons on a riding school about 45 minutes from home, 30 minutes if we were lucky, one disadvantage of living in a city. It could take half a day, I didn't care. I just wanted to learn how to ride and be around horses. I took lessons for about a year and in that year I met unique horses which I will talk about below.
I like all kinds of equestrianism. I rode English but I like Western, Vaulting... whatever, as far as horses are involved! They all need that ounce of bravery, trust, friendship and all it takes. Every single one of them is special. That's how I see things.
Other thing I love is natural horsemanship. Wish I could learn a bit more about it. You can learn so much from horses just by watching them.
Riding and contacting with the Horse is truly an art.
Feio
When I was taking horse riding classes I met this dark bay medium-sized (was about 16 hands) horse called Ugly (yes, that's the literal translation to English - in Portuguese it's Feio - and in our land it's actually a quite caring name for a horse:). He was a gelding, not sure of his breed though. He was my favourite horse around the stables. I would ask to ride him most times, he was so gentle and calm. Really calm. To ask him for a gallop was a real challenge. I never heard him make a noise or sudden movements and when I was riding him it was like he understood me.
I had barely been introduced to galloping and I wasn't very fond of going fast at the time. I was starting to learn how to ride and Feio was such a pleasant ride. He was like me - calm, steady, the no-need-to-rush type - and I loved him. My instructor would ask "come on Sophia, a little gallop now" and me and Feio would have a silent talk when it happened. I think Feio would be like "why a gallop? Aren't we fine with this steady trot Sophia?" and I would agree with him "exactly, why the rush?". I would laugh to myself but then we had to get into a gallop and after a good ten tries Feio would get his gallop - slow gallop. When we were told to slow down to a trot there would exist no eager horse to do it as Feio. When I sat back, relaxing, asking Feio to slow down he was the fastest to do it. He would be like "gosh, at last, don't you think?" and there we were back in the trot and our walking and I felt happy with him.
I got really sad when I left classes and my last lesson was with Feio. I remember I was feeling a bit sick at the time and my instructor asked me which horse I wanted to ride that day since I wasn't feeling very well and I chose Feio, of course. A kid was riding him the moment I arrived and my instructor asked the kid to dismount just because of me. I was like "okay, you didn't need to" but I kept my mouth shut. Of course inside I was super happy I was getting back with Feio. My instructor let us stay at a steady trot since I wasn't very fond of much movement at the time and I started feeling a lot better with Feio trotting steady beneath me.
When I returned to the stables a few months later to restart my lessons me and mom found my instructor had gone teaching to another school and Feio was gone aswell. I went to check the box where he stayed but it was empty. We searched other schools but at the time we gave up and I haven't been riding since and this was 3 years ago.
I had barely been introduced to galloping and I wasn't very fond of going fast at the time. I was starting to learn how to ride and Feio was such a pleasant ride. He was like me - calm, steady, the no-need-to-rush type - and I loved him. My instructor would ask "come on Sophia, a little gallop now" and me and Feio would have a silent talk when it happened. I think Feio would be like "why a gallop? Aren't we fine with this steady trot Sophia?" and I would agree with him "exactly, why the rush?". I would laugh to myself but then we had to get into a gallop and after a good ten tries Feio would get his gallop - slow gallop. When we were told to slow down to a trot there would exist no eager horse to do it as Feio. When I sat back, relaxing, asking Feio to slow down he was the fastest to do it. He would be like "gosh, at last, don't you think?" and there we were back in the trot and our walking and I felt happy with him.
I got really sad when I left classes and my last lesson was with Feio. I remember I was feeling a bit sick at the time and my instructor asked me which horse I wanted to ride that day since I wasn't feeling very well and I chose Feio, of course. A kid was riding him the moment I arrived and my instructor asked the kid to dismount just because of me. I was like "okay, you didn't need to" but I kept my mouth shut. Of course inside I was super happy I was getting back with Feio. My instructor let us stay at a steady trot since I wasn't very fond of much movement at the time and I started feeling a lot better with Feio trotting steady beneath me.
When I returned to the stables a few months later to restart my lessons me and mom found my instructor had gone teaching to another school and Feio was gone aswell. I went to check the box where he stayed but it was empty. We searched other schools but at the time we gave up and I haven't been riding since and this was 3 years ago.
Feio would look like this. It's not him but it's so you can picture him better; one of the
things I regret the most is of not having photos from the horses I'll be talking about but oh well.
things I regret the most is of not having photos from the horses I'll be talking about but oh well.
Feia
I also (when I was still taking classes at these stables) met this bay mare which was slightly taller than Feio. She was called Ugly but in our feminine way (Feia in Portuguese). Well, she had a very interesting personality. She was basicaly the opposite of Feio. I rode her once or twice but gosh, it was enough at the time hehe.
She loved galloping and going fast but this would only happen if she was behind another horse. She would insist to go in front. It was a battle to tell her to stay put while I was riding behind two other riders. She would stop pulling for a few moments like "okay, fine, but I'm not done yet!". She would need to go with her head bent to the outside to avoid surpassing the other riders or she would just go over them; I think she didn't really care as long she was the one leading the line! haha. Gosh, I laughed so hard when we could leave the line and I would pat her telling "gosh, you're a real competitor my lady, aren't you. Take it easy will you? We aren't going to catch the train!" When we could ride alone she was really nice and wouldn't insist to go fast but when she was following other horses, gosh, that was a bit more difficult.
Feia would look like this.
Princesa
Also met another mare called Princesa (Princess in English). She was a Dun mare of about the same height as Feia. I rode her only twice or three times but she was my second choice after Feio. She was calm aswell; very sure of her strides; would't rush but wasn't definately as calm as Feio, haha. Though she wouldn't ask to go faster, she would go as we wanted her to go. Steady or a bit faster or a longer stride, she would do it and answered it promptly. I loved her aswell.
I had only ridden her twice when she got kicked on one of her front legs by another horse. She had to be under surgery and rest. I didn't know this at the beggining. She just stopped appearing in the normal covered arena where I took my classes. Then one day, when I was alone with my riding instructor on the arena, they brought me Princesa so I could ride her. Before I could say anything, my riding instructor told she had been kicked on the right front leg and that I had to be careful, just for her to make some exercise since she was recovering.
One of my first scares of almost falling over was with her. Still in that same day, we were trying a steady gallop with her recovering leg leading and she suddenly tripped hard. I was pulled forwards over her head and I immediately understood why she tripped and I was even more scared thinking I was hurting her more by taking my weight forwards. Thought she was really going to fall but she hold me and got back on her feet and she wanted to continue galloping! I asked her to stop aswell as my instructor who also got spooked when me and Princesa almost fell together. I immediately changed hands, patted her and then she continued gracefully without protesting a bit and I'm sure the tripping didn't make her leg feel any better. She was a great mare, indeed.
I had only ridden her twice when she got kicked on one of her front legs by another horse. She had to be under surgery and rest. I didn't know this at the beggining. She just stopped appearing in the normal covered arena where I took my classes. Then one day, when I was alone with my riding instructor on the arena, they brought me Princesa so I could ride her. Before I could say anything, my riding instructor told she had been kicked on the right front leg and that I had to be careful, just for her to make some exercise since she was recovering.
One of my first scares of almost falling over was with her. Still in that same day, we were trying a steady gallop with her recovering leg leading and she suddenly tripped hard. I was pulled forwards over her head and I immediately understood why she tripped and I was even more scared thinking I was hurting her more by taking my weight forwards. Thought she was really going to fall but she hold me and got back on her feet and she wanted to continue galloping! I asked her to stop aswell as my instructor who also got spooked when me and Princesa almost fell together. I immediately changed hands, patted her and then she continued gracefully without protesting a bit and I'm sure the tripping didn't make her leg feel any better. She was a great mare, indeed.
Princesa would look like this.
