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Horse riding today attracts a lot of people. Is it because horses are able to teach our body, mind and heart a lot, as the ancient Greek philosopher Xenophon believed?
The outpost ranch near Mozhaisk is an ideal place for walking: forests, fields, open spaces, the famous Borodino is nearby. But it is horses that unite people who work here or come here to relax. “Without the horses, we wouldn’t all have gathered here,” says Yevgeny Matuzov, the creator and owner of the Outpost. — Yes, and I myself became what I am, largely thanks to them. There are more than 500 people in our club, and in addition to them, we have thousands of people every year — we teach how to ride, organize horse trips, hold games and tournaments. Eugene is sure that people would have achieved much more if they had not been hindered by two thoughts: “this can be done later” and “what if it doesn’t work out?”. He broke up with his first conviction when, at the age of 18, he became the owner of several horses. “There is no greater incentive to act right now than a herd of hungry horses that you are in charge of.” The second delusion passed a year later: the dream of owning a stable became a reality.
They give strength
39-year-old Elena dreamed of horses since childhood, but for the first time she got into the saddle only at the age of 21. “It happens that you come to training in anguish, without strength,” she says, “and you work, and your mood changes, negative emotions are converted into energy.” Svetlana, 53, moved to the countryside to live next to her two horses. She does not regret her decision, despite the fact that now her working day lasts 12 hours. “Without an evening horseback ride, I feel bad: horses help me live, they are my medicine,” she admits. Horses have helped her learn to love herself: the only pictures she likes are those of her in the saddle.
They make us real
We sit on a horse and … become ourselves. This is clearly seen on beginners. “They are suspended in the air, in the literal and figurative sense of the word, their feeling of being unstable,” Evgeny shares his observations. “All their attention is focused on the horse: they need to think not about how they look, but how to find contact and control this animal.” In familiar conditions, it is easy for us to play familiar roles. And the horse creates, albeit pleasant, but still discomfort, in which it is impossible to play any role, and everyone becomes what he really is. “If you want to get to know a person better, and there are no mountains nearby, go horse riding with him.”
They require us to be confident
A horse obeys a person only when it trusts him enough and feels that he is able to control it. She will only follow the clear commands of a confident rider. If you wait, be afraid, do nothing — she will just go about her business.
“I would make horse riding a compulsory subject for high school students,” Evgeny suggests. “She would help them a lot in those years when a person does not yet know what he needs and is actively looking for himself.” The horse gives us confidence that we are able to do what we have planned, that our capabilities are greater than we thought. Everyone who has ever managed to achieve obedience from this animal weighing 500 kg remembers how self-esteem rises from this, new forces and new ideas appear. Eugene observes this with the example of young instructors who work on a ranch. Horses give them a special taste for life, a feeling that everything is still ahead, a desire to solve new problems.
They encourage us to overcome circumstances
“A horse educates us — psychologically, morally and, to some extent, spiritually,” says 50-year-old Nikolai, the owner of a small stable. — The rules of riding are useful in everyday life: no matter what we do, we must first think over our actions. To overcome the barrier, you need to look ahead: look beyond it, imagine that you are already on the other side. If the rider only focuses on the obstacle and keeps looking down at the ground, the horse will stop. In the saddle, we learn to alternate between letting go and regaining control, which is how life should be.” There is something similar to the principle of Buddhist philosophy in this: to learn to accept what comes and goes …
They teach empathy
Can a horse read a person’s mind? Can there be complete understanding between this horse and this particular rider? “The Indians have a technique called “my horse, come with me,” says Evgeny. — Before you pronounce the command — to turn somewhere, go or accelerate — you need to create an internal message, the same for each command. The horse understands this mood very well. When I rode one horse for a long time, I often noticed that I could no longer manage it. It is enough to think that it is necessary to switch to a trot, and it switches. Between us there is an understanding without words, on an intuitive level. “The rapier was eccentric, in some ways even impudent, self-willed,” Elena says about her favorite horse. “Other riders didn’t like to train on it, but I felt good with it. She liked to work, however, at first we figured out which of us would be in charge today. But then, for her, “we won’t succeed” didn’t exist, it seemed that the more difficult the task, the more eagerly she was eager to complete it. There is an incredible pleasure in it, experienced riders admit, to feel that a common goal unites me and the horse.
They set an example
Horses change us. “You can’t be unassembled, lazy with her — after all, initially the forces are unequal,” Elena explains. “It is important to overcome yourself, to become stronger in order to subdue the animal.” Subdue, but not intimidate — our “good attitude towards horses”, sung by Vladimir Mayakovsky, includes friendship, care, respect. We can learn a lot from these animals: they live in groups in which everyone cooperates with others while maintaining their autonomy. There are no petty tyrants among them, but there are leaders: those whom others are ready to follow. They teach us patience, allow us to be open to new experiences. Sometimes we get angry and then come to our senses for a long time. With horses, everything is different: they calm down almost instantly, after extreme excitement, complete rest comes. Maybe the wisdom is to «be a bit of a horse» sometimes?