Riders with sensitive horses know there’s a certain kind of weather they don’t love: the chilly, blustery day. Especially when they have to ride in an outdoor arena. Especially when that outdoor arena is surrounded by all sorts of trees and rustling bushes and mare’s tail. Especially when that outdoor arena is surrounded by other horses in paddocks. And the neighbors have tarps in their yard. All of the things that, alone, would terrify a horse, in this kind of weather are all keyed up and ready to wave, gallop, or flap in concert.

I was not feeling good about having a riding lesson this day. The wind was mean, slicing through my three layers and sending the magnolia tree on the other side of the paddock dancing like a TikTok teeny bop. The horses, for their part, didn’t seem TOO spicy at this point, so I took advantage. I whipped on Kiss’s cavesson after a quick grooming and led her out to the arena. Was it a bad omen that she didn’t even want to go in? She stood stiff and wide-eyed as she watched something beyond the periphery of the arena. We couldn’t go in, there were THINGS out there.

I got her unstuck and we entered the arena, but I could tell she was concerned. We walked one way around, with me in between her and the SCARY perimeter, then we walked the other way around, same thing. This way, somehow, was a lot scarier. She spooked like a kite on a string when we got to her particular “corner of terror.” She did not, however, spook into me and she was very careful to avoid me during her escapades. I noted this and how far we’ve come since she had initially always wanted to jump into my lap.

After some walking around, I decided to see how she would be on the lunge. As usual, she was fine until she was NOT fine. She walked and trotted around okay until she spooked and bolted. She did “come back” quickly and I was able to stop her, but I could tell she was feeling her feelings. Rather than try to contain those feelings, I let her loose in the arena, where she did her best Black Stallion impression, galloping and galloping back and forth across the arena. I had never seen her exert quite that much energy. But, just like that, the bolting stopped as quickly as it started and I was able to get her back on the lunge line and execute a nice walk and trot without incident. Still, I thought, getting on her was another story.

It’s rare that I feel physically ill before doing something that makes me anxious. But, here I was, feeling nauseated about actually getting into that saddle. My instructor, Jamie, seemed completely nonplussed about my recounting of Kiss’s pre-ride antics. She set up a circle for us at the least spooky corner of the arena and we began.

At first, Kiss’s ears pricked forward and her head jammed way up to try to detect any monsters beyond the arena. As we practiced our spirals, spiraling into a small circle and leg yielding back out onto a larger circle, her head began to drop and her ears spun back. Then, the moment I was dreading: Jamie asked me to pick up a trot. My stomach clenched. Last time, she had started by throwing up her head and dragging me out through her outside shoulder. If she was that uncooperative on a non-spooky day, how would she be on the king of all spooky days?

To my surprise, she willingly picked up a trot with no head flinging reaction. She was rushy, but she started responding better and more quickly to my half halts and started to keep a slower tempo longer. I was getting more effective with my half halts, figuring out exactly the right things to do with my body to get her to respond. My hands were getting better too – I was doing less straight-armed, sideways-and-down contact and more bent elbow, elastic contact. We were starting to get this thing. And then, she bolted.

It was a spook that sent her cantering toward the gate on the other side of the arena. But we had been doing so much balance work, her canter was actually super balanced and easy to deal with. I reined her in before she had even gotten 1/3 of the way down the arena and we resumed work where we had left off. At first, I was a bit scared that she had done that, but then I thought, “Hey, I handled that fine – and I stayed on and didn’t die!” I think it actually gave me a little boost of confidence. That’s it? Okay, fine.

We did some walk-trot transitions and finished with some trot spirals, which she managed very well. We actually got some great trot moments and she started to use her core better and step underneath herself. All in all, I’d say she actually enjoyed herself! And I did too, of course.

It was a good reminder, I think, not to dwell on the past, whether the past was five minutes ago or five years ago. Had I dwelled so much on Kiss’s antics on the lunge line, I never even would have gotten into the saddle. Had I worried about all of the things she had done in the past, I wouldn’t have had the courage to ride her at all. But here, we had these beautiful moments and I’m developing as a rider as well as helping my horse be stronger, more balanced, and confident. I’m also grateful to her for trusting me and not dwelling on the past either. She could well have been a fired up dragon horse for the duration of the ride, but instead, she chose to focus on the task at hand and to willingly try to meet my requests.

We have come such a long way since last Fall/Winter already! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next!