So, there's this horse in the barn that I have only ridden twice until tonight. Both of those times were utter disasters, and I left feeling like I had no idea what I was doing. Like, "you should only be riding the horse in front of the Wal-Mart" bad. After those rides, I had been so busy preparing for the summer classic show at our barn and then the winter tournaments that I had forgotten about this horse.
Until tonight.
I picked up a shift to work, and like I usually do when I work, I ride as well. When I came to the barn, I had the opportunity to "choose" my mount for the lesson. Within reason, of course. Several of my choices were out, either because they had been ridden already or were not being used for the day, so I was left with either the "easy" horses, or the horse that I had only ridden (not so gracefully) twice.
I made a choice. It wasn't an easy choice, and I didn't know exactly how it would work out. I've felt like I have been stuck in a rut lately, and I haven't been able to notice any progress at all. This has left me feeling unconfident and frustrated.
I made this choice because I wanted to see how much I have progressed as a rider. I know that this particular horse needs a rider with steady, quiet hands and that wasn't something I could give him completely the last time I rode him months ago. But I wanted to see if I could do it tonight.
So tonight, I didn't make an easy decision, and I am thankful that I made that choice. The lesson went well, with a few minor hiccups, but I credit most of those to learning a new horse. At the end of the day, I left a more confident rider and that would not have happened if I would have chosen one of the easier horses.
We all have that horse in the barn. The one that feels just a little out of reach, for whatever reason. the one that always seems to have our number, and makes us just a little nervous when we get on. Sometimes, it is okay to take a step back and ride that same horse a few months later.
You may not be able to notice a difference in your weekly lessons, but horses don't lie. Trust your instincts, and always make the choice that will better you as a person, even if it isn't the easiest.
