Where There's Hope by Elizabeth A. Smart

Author:Elizabeth A. Smart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

7

Our Physical Gift

Real beauty isn’t about symmetry or weight or makeup; it’s about looking life right in the face and seeing all its magnificence reflected in your own.

—VALERIE MONROE

We have these amazing bodies that comport our spirits and take care of us, and we should be grateful for what we have, even if we’re not as skinny as Victoria Beckham or as powerful as Beyoncé. Our bodies are to be celebrated, despite our individual limitations. Dressage has extended the capabilities of my body along with my understanding of my own strength. There are lots of styles of horseback riding; dressage is like yoga and ballet with military precision in partnership with the horse. You have to be very aware and in control, not only of your own body but of the horse’s too, as best you can. Horses don’t care if you’re popular or pretty. When you get up on their backs, it’s a dangerous position to be in. You have to control this thousand-pound animal, and for girls who come from a traumatic background, this is a really big confidence builder. This powerful animal knows nothing about your problems. You are in charge. It amazes me that this huge, powerful animal will allow us to get up there and take control.

For me, it all started because of my dad. A few years ago, he was looking for doors in the local classifieds, came across some for sale, and made an appointment to go see them. While he was looking at the doors, the seller’s wife came out and saw my dad and realized that he was a relative. My dad asked her what she did for a living and found out she was a horse trainer at a local barn in Heber City, Utah. When my dad got home that evening, he called me and said if I was ever interested in taking dressage lessons, I had a second cousin not too far from me who taught professionally and would be happy to take me on as a student. I’d grown up spending a lot of time on horseback, but I’d never been instructed in riding—other than “Get up and stay up”—but I thought, I’ll give it a try. Why not? How hard can it be?

Oh, how little I knew then.

I called and made arrangements to have a lesson. Let’s just say this: Dressage is not easy. But I loved it. The feeling of being up on a horse is unlike anything else. For me, it feels natural and uncomplicated and helps me to step back and look at myself. But honestly, I wasn’t doing much introspection during my lessons. I was constantly trying to remember everything: to keep my feet turned parallel to the horse’s body, to keep my seat bones glued to the saddle, not to have too much tension on the reins, to feel the connection with the horse, not to cut the corners—the list could go on, but I’ll leave it at that.

My weekly riding lessons became something I looked forward to.

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