Horses

The last time I sat on a horse was when I was a teenager. One hot summer, I was staying at my aunt's summer house in Rokitnica, Poland. The horse belonged to one of the local farmers. It was one of those big, working horses and I could not really tell whether I liked it or not. However, the idea of sitting on it was very tempting as I had not sat on a horse before. I was probably 12-13 years old and had no idea how to get on a horse, what to do and how to behave. And, let's be honest, the farmer had no idea either. The horse was just a tool for him... it was just a hard-working animal used only to make the farmer's life on a farm easier.

Anyway... not knowing how to get on such a big horse, my cousin and I came up with an idea. We took an old, wooden chair and placed it next to the horse. I stepped up on the chair and, to this day I do not know how, I got on the horse... I must admit, I did not like that new feeling at all... The horse was too big, it was uncomfortable and unpleasant to be sat on it and I felt really awkward about the whole situation. I think I got off the horse quicker than I had got on it... I did not like this whole experience at all and have been rather hesitant and skeptical to being around horses ever since. I do not think I have ever stood close to a horse since that day...

I realised how wrong I have been this whole time last weekend...

Slawek and I visited the Horse Riding Centre in the Lea Valley Regional Park on Saturday. And I have completely fallen in love with horses...

Two horses in particular caught my attention. Even though they were rather resentfull at first, I somehow managed to gain their trust. First, I picked some grass. Holding my hand flat and keeping my fingers together, I slowly reached out and handed the grass to one of the horses. I repeat that a few times. Then, I let the horse to smell my open palm hand. Once the horse realized I was not going to harm it, I slowly and gently touched it... the horse readily accepted my touch. Its hair was long and soft... it felt nice and warm to the touch of my hand...

While training my German Shepherd, I realized how important body language is when interacting with animals as it reflects our leadership abilities. While making a physical contact with the horse, I tried to hold my head up high, made careful and deliberate movements and kept an eye contact with it all the time. In the end, the only way to gain a horse's trust is to get it to accept the idea that it is okay to let you touch it.

It was one of the best feelings I have had for a while. Being able to feed them, touch and caress them was a great experience. I will definitely visit the stables more often now. And maybe one day I will even be able to learn how to horse ride... I would love that!