I started horse riding at 5 PM.
The summer heat was intense, and I had exhausted much of my energy during the first half of the lesson.
For this reason, or perhaps others, the horse began acting more stubborn in the second half than it had in the first.
The instructor pointed out that I wasn't riding properly at the center, causing the horse to misbehave.
Rubens, the horse, naturally tends to turn his face left, and because of that, he tends to spread out to the right. I knew this, but while
practicing 20-meter circles, I unintentionally allowed our formation to morph into an ellipse.
In an attempt to correct this, I pushed with my right rein and opened the left. But my hands, holding the reins, ended up crossing over the
horse's neck — a major mistake.
While our cantering went well, it caused a reactionary effect. My posture lowered too much, making speed control more difficult.
Gradually, my riding posture deviated from the centered riding position. This allowed the horse to take control, doing as he pleased. As my concentration broke, the horse started to move unpredictably.
This being a new horse is no excuse. Such a situation is dangerous, and I worried about what the horse might do next.
During the last 5 minutes, I managed to regain control and finish the lesson, but the overall impression was that the horse had taken me for a ride.
Next time, I plan to fully prepare for the heat and ride in a way that does not allow the horse to toy with me.
"Once you mount a horse, you mustn't let your guard down until you dismount."
This phrase came to mind during the ride... what a shame!