[Anyplace Farm]

People of a certain age will remember the book, "All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten". It was soon followed by, "All I Need to Know, I Learned From My Cat".

Being the owner of a coming 5 y.o. OTTB, I am learning some new things from my horse or being reminded of old lessons.

What have you learned from yours?

[UniqueSaddlePads]

Patience, and wear a helmet!

[sisu27]

Patience, patience, patience!!! Also learned from a slightly challenging ottb.

I have had to learn to be a more sensitive and sophisticated rider. Less is often more. To quit when we are ahead. That more often than not it was my fault. The incredible value of earning the trust of a horse. That ribbons are not the most rewarding success but that they sure are satisfying when the journey was a difficult one.

Most importantly for my story would be to trust my gut. Not a single person in my life supported my decision completely to buy this particular horse. Glad I listened to my gut and not everyone else because I wouldn't trade him for all the tea in China.

[HPFarmette]

Live in the moment. Pay attention. (I call barn cleaning "my yoga".)

[BansheeBreeze]

what HAVEN'T I learned from horses!! I would say the biggest thingg has been compassion.

[Heliodoro]

That when under saddle all of our mistakes and mishaps are because I wasn't riding correctly.

Just because someone says your horse can't, doesn't make them right.

[Graureiter]

Size does not matter.
Confidence does.

And being able to open the cookie jar matters even more.

[analise]

Humility.

[huntereq_princess]

Slow down and just enjoy right here, right now...

[Chewbacca]

I have learned that I can't ride.

[Anyplace Farm]

I have learned that I can't ride.

Hahahahah!

[LSM1212]

And being able to open the cookie jar matters even more.

I have learned that I can't ride.

Both of these!

But I have also learned that even if I think I can't do it... my horse lets me know that we can.

[Graureiter]

Humility.

I'm not sure about that.
None of my horses ever seemed to be afflicted with that emotion :
And as a male of the human species. I'm not supposed to melt down in a wiggly pile of humility just because an animal ten times my size does not accept me as an equal.

[Bluey]

Horses like you for who you are.

Horses like short people.

I am very short.

[Bluey]

I'm not sure about that.
None of my horses ever seemed to be afflicted with that emotion :
And as a male of the human species. I'm not supposed to melt down in a wiggly pile of humility just because an animal ten times my size does not accept me as an equal.

You mean a horse has never humbled you, you never had to apologize to a horse?

[Anyplace Farm]

I'm not sure about that.
None of my horses ever seemed to be afflicted with that emotion :
And as a male of the human species. I'm not supposed to melt down in a wiggly pile of humility just because an animal ten times my size does not accept me as an equal.

I have to say, I was definitely humiliated when mine did a lightning-speed spin, sending me straight to the dirt, when someone's oblivious husband decided to fling his wife's coat out to smooth over his legs just as my horse was approaching that end of the ring.

I wanted to walk up and beat the crap out of the man, but, I exercised lessons learned in the past from my horse: patience, temperance and the age old "non-horse people need to stay the hell away from the barn". It also marked the very first fall I'd ever had from my horse. Thanks dude!

[katarine]

How to have a sense of humor in a tight situation.

How to listen the first time.

I think the biggest thing I've gained is focus: I love how I completely leave everything else at the big ugly orange gate that leads to the barnyard. That gate is the line in the sand.

What am I still learning? Lately I'm learning how to balance 'go trail ride with SO' and 'work on my dressage stuff: nailing transitions, free walk with stretch down and out, etc etc. I can't nail X on a winding hilly trail. The two are separate activities in my world. DH means well but has zero clue that I can't do both at once and 'just go ride'- I need that time to myself. Maybe I will put a lock on that arena gate

[see u at x]

Pretty much all of the above.

I used to believe that I was 100% a "mare" person. Then I got my gelding and learned that I was wrong.

[analise]

I'm not sure about that.
None of my horses ever seemed to be afflicted with that emotion :
And as a male of the human species. I'm not supposed to melt down in a wiggly pile of humility just because an animal ten times my size does not accept me as an equal.

That's not really what I meant, Grau.

More like...every time I get to, "oh we're so awesome and I totally know how to do this!" Kieran likes to trip me up, just a little. Keep me guessing.

I mean, I do it to him, too, but still!

Or I fall off and have to laugh at myself. *shrugs!*

[Graureiter]

You mean a horse has never humbled you, you never had to apologize to a horse?

My first horse was a grumpy old mare.
She would never wait for an apology.
Now I have a young gelding and I'm not going to let him know that he may know more about being a horse then I do.

There were a few times when I had the " Shit, I should not have done that!" experience.
But I kept that inside. As any Corporal from Roman times to the present has been trained to do.