Five Qualities of a Great Equestrian
What makes a great equestrian? Read ahead to find out! There are many great equestrians out there! Spring Gap Farm just happens to be full of them. 😉
They put in the time and take every opportunity possible. The first thing that I think makes a difference is that a great rider is one who is willing to put the time in. The great riders don't miss an opportunity to get on a horse. If their lesson gets canceled, they reschedule it. They prioritize riding in their lives. We’re not saying a great rider can't do anything besides ride, they just prioritize it.
They watch others ride. You watch the cause and effect. You watch other riders and see what works and doesn't work. What do they do that brings out the best in the horse? You watch and see that if they do a certain thing, the horse will respond in a certain way and understand why. They take it all in. They realize you can learn about riding by watching others ride.
They are willing to take responsibility. Great riders will look at themselves when something is going wrong with their horse. They will look at themselves and what they are doing and be willing to accept the fact that it might be them. A rider that can look at you and say that something happened because of something they did wrong is a great rider. They are willing to accept responsibility and work hard to understand how to do better.
They are sensitive to the horse. A great rider is sensitive to the horses. They are attentive to their personalities. They recognize that each horse may respond differently to the same cues. Each horse needs to be treated as an individual.
Great riders are on a lifelong journey. Great riders have realized that horsemanship isn't a journey. They have made a conscious effort to never stop learning and always be open to new things. They check their ego at the door, and they do the best they can for their horse on any given day. They admit if they are wrong or if they need help because they don't know the answer.