MM: Reflection

As previously mentioned, I grew up riding in a camp environment, primarily western and bareback.

I had a few brief encounters with other disciplines, like the time I went to a Saddlebred barn and rode a 5 gaiter.  But that's a different story.

But in general, just western.  I really didn't have a major understanding of what various disciplines required, since the internet didn't exist (or not as we know it!), so all these other things just existed in books and pictures.  ;)

So one lovely day, a friend was riding a Lipizzaner gelding that been donated.  He was big and noble with a roman nose.  I didn't really understand the extent of his training, but he was a good soul, if not a little goofy.  So when the friend mounted him and took him out in the field, I took another look.

Here was the big, almost goofy looking horse working in tandem with his rider.  She has asked him to give to the bit, round up, and was doing pretty leg yields, collected trots, and half passes.

The beauty of watching the team in motion was something that reverberated to my core.  Two beings truly understanding and communicated and almost dancing.  This gelding looked so much like a cart horse when ridden on a loose rein and let to plunk around with an inverted topline, but just bridled and filled with energy, he sprung up with enthusiasm and beauty and poetry in his steps.

Sadly, the person in question took her life a few years ago.  The gelding died from bastard strangles.  Both were tragic circumstances.  But I try and reflect back to happier days when the sun was shining, all was good and right, and I was truly inspired to look into a different type of world where man and horse could move as one.

What was a horse moment that has truly stuck with you?