Ten Commandments of Riding: One
Published by GHC • Feb 27th, 2008 • Category: Junior Blogger Archives, Riding Advice
As my fellow horseback riders know, our sport seems to have boundless ‘golden rules’. At least that is what my previous riding instructor called the little tidbits that polish and build the foundation for riding skills, and keeping things running smoothly around the stable. If you aren’t a horseback rider, only admiring horses from afar, then don’t fret—this entry will still be useful for when you do ride, which I hope you can start doing.
There are ten of these golden rules I find to be like the ten commandments of horseback riding, if you would go so far as to say so. The first of these, and possibly one of the most important (hence its place as number one) is…
THOU SHALL NOT SHIFT THY WEIGHT WITHOUT REASON
Think about it, please, for your skills and your mount. It is never helpful to your kind steed to have you shifting around in the saddle too much. That is why it is best to move as little as possible, and only when needed to carry out your duties as a rider. Just so you don’t roll your eyes in boredom at this commandment, I’ll give you an example of why you should NOT move too much in the saddle.
Alright, for the first time you are barrel racing at a high speed of a gallop, but you are still a beginner learning the ropes, so there is no crowd to distract you like there would be at a show. You are coming up on your first barrel atop a dove-eyed quarter horse named Doc. Doc is an ex barrel racer who was ridden in quite a few rodeos and has collected a nice amount of prizes for his previous cowgirl owner. He is bomb-proof and the perfect horse for a barrel racing beginner like you, and even though he is a seasoned thirty years young horse, you can feel his fluid movements as you dawn on your barrel.
The red, white, and blue tin barrel ahead makes you feel apprehensive, but you do not have much time to think because you only have seconds before you and Doc are rounding the barrel at a breakneck gallop. While you are rounding the barrel you make the common mistake of looking at the barrel as you round it, rather than where you are going, causing you to tilt your head and shift your weight. This makes your turn wider and thus your time longer.
See what I mean? In this scenario, by merely tilting your head you created a shift in your weight, forcing Doc the trusty Quarter Horse to strain to make up for your shift. Though the few seconds you gained might not seem like much, seconds are the difference between winning and losing in the sport of barrel racing. Because you tilted your weight at each barrel like this, you added seven full seconds to your time, making it 28.3 seconds for the three barrels you ran around.
Even though this scene is only fictional, it is a very common and likely mistake to make. Now that you know not to do this, you and Doc could soon be competing at local pony club shows and the like. Of course, you also would not have encountered this pitfall should you have listened to the second commandment…
THOU SHALL NOT LOOK FROM THY PATH
Check back for the Ten Commandments of Riding: Two.
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Great job!
I like the ‘Ten Commandments’ thing!
keeping the right balence is very inportend indeed.
The example was a good one too
:D :) :)
Halee, all I can say is that you are gifted in making people smile.
Excellent blog, Halee! You continue to amaze me with your writing! Keep it up!
Comments already?
Thanks guys, you’re all so kind!
I think I am actually blusing… :)
Very entertaining and true as well. I have never thought about that aspect, but now that I do, it makes so much sense! I have cleared a spot in my heart for this blog. Excellent job Halee and I can’t wait for the next blog. :D
I can’t wait to see the other 10 ones! Great blog. It makes soo much sense! Really good work! :D
I cant wait to see the next blog. 8-} :D