Horseback Riding Lessons Should Be Fun
Of course it takes effort and concentration to get the best out of horseback riding lessons, but there is no reason why that can’t be fun. I think what you need is a sympathetic teacher who builds confidence, enforces the improvements you make and does not make you feel like an idiot for making a mistake here and there; everybody does sometimes. After all, most people aren’t learning to make a career out of it: they are learning so that they can get more enjoyment from the recreation of riding better and have more effective and pleasurable interaction with the horse. An instructor of the old school who yells at students and embarrasses you in front of others often turns people off the sport of horseback riding completely. Find an instructor who will make you feel uplifted and happy at the end of the lessons and shun those who scream at you for reasons real or imagined unless you are a masochist. In the old days in France the teachers all seemed to be sadistic former cavalry officers who like nothing better than to reduce a student to tears. Life is too short for that kind of thing. Don’t put up with it. You aren’t in the army and it isn’t as though you were preparing for the charge of the Light Brigade. These days this is supposed to be a happy sport which gives you pleasure and keeps you in good physical and mental shape.
