I finished Mr.R's riding lesson this evening.
I remember the first time I rode this horse, A-kun. He was a wobbly horse, to say the least. He didn't go straight.
If you tried to make a circle, it would turn into an oval or a semi-circle.
During my rides with A-kun, I learned various things like:
- The precision of the saddle
- How to hold the reins
- How to use leg pressure
Until today, I had never had a trotting lesson. It's my responsibility that I haven't taken the horse to a state where it can trot.
Today, for the first time, it seems I was able to bring the horse to a state where it could trot, and I was told to give trotting a try.
I took a few steps forward, then a few steps backward, and then I gave the signal for trotting.
A-kun started trotting.
The wobbly A-kun was trotting properly.
(Wow, thank you!)
With my center of gravity in my bellybutton, my abdomen pushed out, and sitting in the saddle,
I placed my weight on the left side for a right trot. Then, I used my outer leg to signal, and instantly, A-kun trotted.
(Placing the center of gravity in the bellybutton and pushing out the abdomen is just like what I learned at some club. In the end, it's all the same.)
I even got a lesson on giving the reins. Giving the reins felt like pushing a shopping cart at a supermarket.
When you slowly push the reins forward, it transforms the way he runs.
I was able to bring A-kun to this point.
There's nothing more satisfying than this.
I might have taken one step up!