The Twins

Lessons learned from my horse

Emma Simmons

(7/2020) When I first started riding horses with Mike, I knew it was going to be fun. Who wouldn’t like getting on a beautiful thoroughbred, flying like the wind, jumping over fences, and for just a little while being taller than everyone around me - - I’m usually the shortest. But over the past nine months, I’ve learned that horseback riding is more than just, well riding a horse.

The first time I rode horses at Mike’s farm, he told me and my twin sister Sarah that he would teach us to ride, but we had to also help take care of the horses. I remember thinking, "Fine, if it means I can ride, I’ll muck out a stall or two. And how hard can it be to tack up a horse anyway." I was sure I could do it. I was 10 years old and a straight A student after all. "Mucking and tacking, no problem."

That was nine months ago. But it feels more like nine years ago. While I’ve learned a lot about horses since I started riding Wesley and taking lessons from Mike, the most important thing I’ve learned is that horseback riding is more than just riding a horse. It’s more than just taking care of a horse’s basic needs like giving him food and water. To be a really good rider, I have to see the big picture. I have to learn about everything that a horse needs to be healthy and happy. And then I need to make sure I do all these things.

This reminds of a new word I learned recently from Mike and my Mom. It’s Holistic. It means looking at something that has a lot of parts, not just as separate parts, but as a whole. And the whole only works right when all the parts work right and work together. As a rider, I have to take care of Wesley’s Health, Observe and take Responsibility for Wesley’s care, make sure he is Safe, and be sensitive to his Emotions.

When I started thinking how to write about these lessons, I remembered a kind of writing I learned in Ms. Conway’s Language Arts class at Mother Seton School this past year. It’s where you choose an important word, like HORSE, and then you explain that word by using its letters to create other words that describe it.

H is for Health

"H" means Health. A horse’s health is very important. When I’m sick I can tell my Mom what hurts. But when a horse is sick or hurt you have to figure out what’s wrong or take your horse to the vet. This time of year, there are lots of flying insects that bite Wesley and the other horses. So, I put a special cream on Wesley’s stomach where he gets most of the bites. The cream is thick and sticky and not much fun to hold because it squishes between my fingers, but it’s good for Wesley’s bites.

Not long ago, Wesley’s gait was not right. He was walking like he didn’t feel good. Mike figured out that he had hurt his hooves. So now, Wesley wears special horseshoes and takes medicine. I help give Wesley his medicine. Mike puts it in a big syringe. The first time I gave it to him he spit it out all over the floor because I didn’t put it in his mouth far enough. Mike showed me how to put it in the corner of the horse’s mouth, so it won’t dribble out. I also had to give Wesley time off to heal. It was so hard not riding with Wesley but if I’m going to be a good rider, I have to put Wesley’s health first. Now Wesley is doing great and we’re back together cantering and jumping.

O is for Observing

The letter "O" makes me think about the importance of observing my horse and his behavior. An important lesson that I’ve learned from my coach is to always observe everything about a horse: how he moves, if he is off his feed, if there are any changes in his behavior, how he holds his head, how he acts with the other horses, and if he just looks different than he usually does. This is a horse’s body language. So, before I ride Wesley, I check his hooves and clean out all the dirt and look for any small rocks. After I ride, I check to see if there are any scrapes or scratches on his legs. And I inspect under the saddle for any rub marks the saddle might have made. When it’s hot weather, Mike has taught me to pay special attention to Wesley because he can get overheated just like I can. And I even check Wesley’s poop to make sure it’s not too soft or too hard and that it’s the right color. It’s amazing how much poop can tell you about the health of a horse. Before I started taking riding lessons with Mike, I never would have thought how important just looking at a horse is. But if I carefully observe Wesley every time I ride him, I can help find problems early and this means that Wesley has a better chance of staying healthy and happy.

R is for Responsibility

"R" stands for Responsibility. I always knew horses needed food and water, but Mike and Wesley have taught me that horses need a lot more care than just this and as his rider, I need to be responsible for giving him this care. Like me, Wesley not only needs food, but food that is good for him. Even though Wesley would like to have lots of treats, especially yummy peppermints, too many treats can make him feel bad. He also needs to have a bath and his hair brushed so he doesn’t get tangles, just like me. And he has to have a clean place to live. So, I help Mike keep the barn nice and neat. In the winter, I put a blanket on Wesley to keep him warm. In the summer, the flies drive him crazy and bite him, so he wears a fly sheet and mask. Sometimes, Wesley lets me know what he needs. If the flies are bothering him, he rubs his head against me. If he gets too hot, the veins on his body stick out. Mike taught me that this means we need to stop riding so I can give Wesley a cool bath. I’ve learned a lot from Mike and Wesley about being a responsible rider and how to take care of Wesley.

S is for Safety

The letter "S" is all about Safety. Making sure Wesley and I are safe when we ride is a top priority for me and Mike. There are a few important things I’m learning about safety. First, it’s important to take care of the equipment and to use it correctly. Mike has taught me how to clean the tack and he checks for any problems. The tack also needs to be adjusted correctly. For example, since I’m shorter than my sister Sarah, my leathers need to be adjusted so my stirrups are in the right place and I can balance safely when I ride. A second important part of safety is that I always do what Mike tells me when I’m riding. If I’m approaching a fence, ready to jump, and Mike tells me to circle around instead, I do as he asks because I know he must see that something is not quite right. Safety is about trust. I trust Wesley. I trust Mike. And I’m learning to trust my instincts.

E is for Emotions

"E" means Emotions. Yes, horses have emotions. This is a lesson I’ve learned from Wesley. I love Wesley. And I also know that Wesley loves me. How do I know this? When I go out to the field to get Wesley, he used to trot away from me, and it took a while to catch him. I had to offer him his favorite treat, peppermints, to get him to come to me. Now that we know each other a lot better and trust each other, he walks right up to me and bends his head down to mine. He breathes softly into my face to say I’m glad you’re here. Wesley also makes a nickering sound to me when we are close together. This is like a quiet snuggling sound that lets me know he feels happy and safe with me. I feel very connected to Wesley. I love Mike’s other two horses, Kit and Scotty, but Wesley is special. And I know I am special to Wesley. I think horses are very emotional animals. They show their emotions with their voices and by how they act, just like people do.

HORSE

I’ve learned so many lessons about horses and horseback riding in just a few months. Wesley has taught me that horses, like all animals, need to be cared for and have emotions, just like I do. And I’m lucky that I have a coach that knows so much about horses and is willing to take the time to teach me (and my sister Sarah) that riding a horse is more than just learning how to trot, canter, and jump. Horseback riding is about treating your horse just like you want to be treated.