What have you learnt from your horse?

"Every horse has something to teach. Every person has something to learn. Find out what you can learn from your horse." 

Someone shared this quote and it resonated with me, mainly because it got me thinking about how much I have learnt with Vallu. With him, it's not just with learning about riding - he's also taught me about trust, bravery, love and strength.

Looking back at where we started from and how far we have come, this horse has taught me a lot and I guess that I've had a lot to learn too. He's taken me from an elementary level naive young girl to an advanced level rider that has managed to transform a scared spooky horse into a lovely little cuddle bear. We have a wonderful bond, and nowadays I can feel that he trusts me. He's also taught me that every horse needs enough love and care, and from there they can bloom into a wonderful and trusting partner. For example, on Thursday we went for our second hack in a week, and despite heavy traffic, galloping horses in fields, puddles, wooden bridges and road work signs we had a lovely hack, Vallu behaved really well and relaxed. Four years ago this wouldn't have been possible, as neither he nor I was ready for it. But I've learnt to believe in him, he's taught me to trust him and we're both better versions of ourselves since when we first started working together.

What has your horse taught you?

Funny how having a dissertation proposal and a 3.5k data analysis essay with a presentation to do can kill any hint of inclination to write a blog post. This post has been as a draft for over a week just waiting for my to actually write it, and now that Vallu is having two days off (he just had the dentist today) I'm not so rushed and tired so that I've had time to finally write it.