I'm always with Ai-chan (an electric vehicle), no matter where I go.
The amazing thing about Ai-chan is her performance in sharp turns, such as on metropolitan expressways. By just slightly lifting off the accelerator pedal, she decelerates and skillfully navigates the curves.
But what about when riding a horse?
If we are cantering along a long straight trail, with seemingly endless hoof prints extending into the distance, there would be no problem. The horse would continue to run until it ran out of stamina.
But how should one efficiently traverse the corners of an equestrian course?
When you want to decrease the speed, but also want to maintain the horse's momentum, you would use a half-halt, which is quite different from a car.
The speed drops, but the power builds up. So after passing the corner, the speed can be quickly increased.
In the distant past, when I used to drive cars with manual transmissions instead of automatic ones, I was inexperienced. When I shifted directly from low gear to top gear, I could feel the car groaning. ("What an awful driver I am," I thought.)
It's the same with horses. As I use a half-halt to store power while preparing for the next action, I've gradually come to understand this concept.
If I were to suddenly decelerate, the horse might stop. Immediately shifting to a canter (top gear) can be a big challenge for the horse. I am just beginning to understand this a little.
Becoming one with the horse seems to be still a long way off…