could be when I didn´t, as I had to figure how to get back up on his 17h frame from the ground without the mounting block. “Nash” showed me that some horses definitely had a gait preference (turned out he was a trotter – whoosh!). “Mike” taught me that the more you pulled, the less brakes he had, forcing me to problem solve and to learn to find my Zen at a young age. “Info” introduced me to falling off and that it wasn´t as bad as I was afraid it would be. He not only left his mark on my memory but also on my back, as he branded me with a partial hoof print left by stepping on me after dumping me. His mark turned lovely shades of yellow, purple and blue, and I proudly displayed this badge of honor to all the curious neighbourhood kids. Slow, so slow, “Todd” and “Arrow” taught me that near standstill paces allowed my fumbling beginner body the time to get organized and develop a nice position, which brought home my first equitation ribbons in school shows. There were the dreamboat horses, too: “Tami”, “Cy”, “Bucky”, “Sabre”, “Ican”, “Dale”: the names I hoped would be pencilled next to mine on the mount assign-
“JUST” A SCHOOL HORSE
ment list. I knew stardom as I glided around the arena on their backs, smiling and enjoying the stress-free, stay-in-the-saddle hour, along with the photo op moments they gave
By Didi Arias
my anxious mother.
Illustration by the author
Every single one of those horses, from My parents didn´t have a lot of money for
horses, and they also had an equally full cli-
dreamboat glider to the ones that made
my riding lessons, and I know they must
entele list. Horses were assigned to each rider
me spit dirt, was Golden, because not only
have scrimped and saved for my one hour
and posted on a board a few minutes before
did their combined qualities and characters
sessions. Those lessons were the height of
class. Dozens of children would surge for-
teach me to ride, they also taught life les-
my week and they held great power over
ward as soon as the office lady hung up the
sons, and to know myself. They taught me
me to stay out of trouble – with one strike
daily posting. There was a mixed sense of
about facing fears and that things were not
I could hear the parental words that put
excitement, with a slight fluttering of dread,
always going to be easy nor pretty and that
fear into every kid: “Behave or you will
at finding out which horse you were about to
sometimes life could be, quite literally, a
be grounded…” and they always finished
spend the long awaited hour on.
very bumpy ride. Being a better communicator and selflessness are things I learned
the sentence with “…and that means NO RIDING”. I behaved.
Thinking back, I probably remember almost
and understood on the back of a horse; add
every school horse I rode, and there were
patience and compassion to that. Tolerance
Weekly lessons were such a privilege and a
a lot. They were all memorable, individual
and appreciation for individuality I also
treat – I was one lucky kid! The county-owned
and rider-maker worthy. “Grayboy” taught
gleaned from my equine teachers, for as in
stables I rode at had a large string of school
me how to sit a spook, and how patient he
the human world, the horse world also has
16
Fall 2020 | Riding Instructor
