The Devil’s in the Detail

The smallest changes can sometimes reap the biggest rewards. Getting stuck in a rut is frustrating, and when you are happy to put in the work and are just desperate for an improvement it can just get infuriating when it doesn’t happen.  All I can say is perseverance is worth it…

A recent breakthrough for me was a very slight adjustment in my position which was made by an instructor. I hadn’t appreciated that my weight was every so slightly heavier at the back of my seat, and as a result I wasn’t following Archie’s movements, I was blocking him. By altering this I was able to allow him to move freely behind and not give him confusing mixed messages of forward with the leg but back with the seat and hand. This was the epiphany I needed! And wow did it make a difference. I suddenly found my leg position was more effective, I was more secure, and more importantly Archie was more settled.

What I felt in the moments at home when I put everything together on my own and managed to re-create the feelings I had in the lesson was such a moment of relief. It can be hard work when you want to improve and get better but you feel that things have stagnated, both for you and the horse. Getting a new opinion, a different perspective and some alternative advice (from someone you trust), might just open that door which is being so stubborn. I won’t go through all the details of our lesson, as every rider is different and what worked for me won’t necessarily work for those reading this, but I urge you all to think outside the box and if things are feeling stale don’t stop searching for you own epiphany.