Yesterday, I had to endure an exhausting horse ride (which, admittedly, was far from satisfactory). I'm tempted to blame the intense
summer heat for this exhausting experience.
Due to my fatigue, I decided to rest this morning. Consequently, I will spend tomorrow and the day after at the office. There is a pile of
paperwork and other tasks that I need to take care of, which have accumulated significantly.
I started horse riding almost 20 years ago, with a desire to acquire skills to ride any horse and travel to various countries. As a member of
the Urasenke school of tea ceremony, I was also interested in the connection between tea ceremony and horse riding, given that the former grand master, despite his age, also engaged in horse riding. This interest, though vague, is beginning to become clearer.
That was why I started horse riding.
I dreamt of racing through the vast plains of America on a horse, of running through the old castles of Europe, and of riding on a horse on a southern island.
However, I was unable to make a horse run smoothly, and as a rider, I could not maintain a horse's gallop for any extended period of time.
A few years ago, when I was preparing for the A3 (first class) riding test, I practiced my route repeatedly for three months before the exam. As a result, it was normal for me to ride twice a week, and in the month leading up to the exam, I rode three times a week. But even with this rigorous practice, I did not exhaust myself like I did yesterday.
I had planned to go on a short-term horse-riding study program in the UK as a celebration of passing my first-class test. However,
my biggest problem is that my physical exhaustion is severe, and I fear I would not be able to complete the curriculum of the study
program.
The program consists of taking care of the horses and learning about them in the morning, riding every afternoon, and practicing English conversation at a cafe in the evening. It's a very relaxed schedule, but...
Right now, I lack confidence.
Is this because the Japanese summer heat has sapped my strength, leading to heat fatigue? I'm not sure.
I hope that once my health is restored, I'll be able to laugh at these worries as a thing of the past.