My boyfriend gifted me a 3 lesson Groupon for horseback riding with High Standard Equestrians for…read moreour anniversary. I went to my first lesson Saturday, May 4th with trainer Cecilia.
First of all, it's at Brookside Equestrian Park so I thought I was lost, but I wasn't. High Standard Equestrian is toward the back of the property and across the parking lot from the bathrooms.
The trainer, Cecilia, and owner, Clint, met me at their office and were very friendly, professional, and helpful. Right away, Cecilia took me to the horse I would be caring for and riding (Stewart) and had me take him out of his stall and into the grooming stall (I don't know what it's exactly called). It was my first time leading a horse anywhere, but Cecilia was encouraging and walked me through the process, as she could tell I was nervous. She taught me how to groom Stewart and then I went through all of the grooming steps (I even picked up his giant hoof and picked the dirt out of it!). She also showed me all of the steps to putting the saddle and bridal on.
I led Stewart out of the grooming stall and then it was time to get on the horse! As I was standing on the steps to mount him, I casually mentioned to Cecilia that I was afraid of heights. She assured me I would be alright. I, very ungracefully, got on Stewart and was quite a bit terrified. He happens to be the tallest horse in the stable! Cecilia waited patiently until I was a bit more calm to lead us into the indoor arena.
Once in the arena, Stewart and I (led by Cecilia) walked around in circles for a while so that I could feel more comfortable. After a few laps, Cecilia taught me how to do "posting" and once I had a handle on that, we moved onto "two-point" which was easier, but I was more afraid of (it involves standing on the horse while holding onto his neck!). At the end, Stewart and I went for a trot! First, while I was sitting and then we tried posting and trotting (that was a bit sloppy for me). Last, we tried trotting and two-point, which was a lot of fun!
I have to say that Cecilia was a great trainer. Every time we moved on to a new "move" she seemed to have more confidence in me than I did! I never felt pressured to go on to the next thing, but I'm glad she was there to push me to learn the next thing because I was quite content walking in circles haha
The next day, I could barely move! Apparently I am out of shape and horseback riding requires some muscles I didn't know I had! Two days later, I am still sore but I can't wait to go back! It was so much fun!
When I go back for my next lesson, I'll be bringing a bag of carrots for the horses :)