"Hey Nora! Come back down here! We're just gonna make a big circle right around us, O.K.? Shorten your reins up and change your diagonal. No, no, no! Halt, halt. This is where your leg belongs. Arch. Sit up tall. Keep your reins short. Keep your thumbs on the rein. Soften your elbows here. Your wrists never change. Imagine there's a Popsicle stick right here and that's your splint. There should be a direct line from the bit to your hands to your elbows."
I knew professional horse riding was for me in 1998, when I rode King. King wasn't mine; he belonged to my mother's friend, who was married to a race car driver and had an enormous mansion with a large stable. I was thrilled when I got invited over to that huge house to ride the horses. I'd been looking forward to the visit all week.
When I finally got there, I remember being so impressed by how big the horses were — King was 18.5 HH (hands high). I watched with fascination as one of the stable hands tacked him up. First the stable hand brushed the horse all over, even on his belly. Next he threw some blankets over King's back and then put on the saddle. He tightened up the girth and adjusted the stirrup leathers to my size. Grasping the bridle with two hands, he put the bit next to King's mouth and placed one of his fingers on the horse's teeth. The rest of the bridle just slid right over and on.
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The stable hand gave me the reins and my mom's friend said, "Well, there you go! Have fun!" I remember thinking, Huh? I don't know what to do!? But I rode out to the field all the same. My senses were on overdrive: I could see beautiful countryside, touch this magnificent animal, smell the gorgeous fresh air, hear the pounding hoof beats, and taste the sweat on my face. I was officially in love!
About two years after I first met King, my father took me to a bookstore and I bought a book about show jumping. In the pictures the riders looked so determined and free at the same time. Looking at the faces I noticed how the riders' expressions mirrored the horses'; the horse wanted to win for the rider and the rider wanted to win for the horse.
I knew I wanted to start jumping. Unfortunately, I had just moved to Tucson and was trying to get used to my new surroundings, so I had to put my horse career on hold. Now, a few years later, I am formally beginning my regular horseback riding lessons. Even though I started horseback riding just for fun, my views have now changed. I feel so determined to make it big that I can't even put into words how I feel.
My trainer, Melissa Duven, has competed in and won many world-renowned competitions. Like her, I want to compete with the best. I want to wear the jackets with the tails and the velvet helmet. Everything that is related to English riding is sophisticated and classy.
Right now I know that I'm not in the same social class as the other competitors: most of the competitive riders I've seen seem to have money. Sometimes, Melissa talks to me about how she got started in a sport that's so expensive: "My riding instructor told my parents that I had a natural ability for horses. I was fortunate that my parents supported me in my passion because it is an expensive sport."
It takes quite a bit of money to own horses, equipment, space to store the horses and equipment, and vehicles to haul the horses and equipment from competition to competition. I'm 15, and I don't have as much money as I would need to compete at the level I want to.
But I plan to practice hard and gain the skills I need to win competitions so I can earn the money to buy my own horse. I know that it will take a long time to save the money, but I'm willing to work hard. I admire the riders I see at the competitions because I imagine that they're financially secure, and I want to get there.
At my lessons, Melissa is picky about every little detail of my presentation: She likes to make sure that my heels extend beyond my toes, for example, and that my wrists curve in and my thumbs turn up. According to Melissa, there should be one straight line that runs from my heels to my hips to my shoulders — and I slouch all the time. Her suggestions hurt! In addition to my posture, we also work on other basic skills like trotting, keeping the reins tight, and properly changing diagonals (controlling my body's movements in relations to the horse's).
Even though I get a little frustrated with all of the techniques I have to remember, I appreciate the help. Melissa has told me that I have a lot of potential in this sport. I know that she respects me because she's more demanding with me than with some of her other students. And I respect her for that.
At times I feel overwhelmed because of the responsibilities I'm faced with: Unlike many 15-year-olds, I have to work so I can help pay rent and bills. For me, taking riding lessons and learning about the world of competitive riding presents a stability that I'm attracted to. There are rules to learn and I know I have to find the self-discipline to follow all of those rules.
I hope to one day own my own horses and have a little ranch somewhere in the Tucson Mountains. With Melissa's help, I know I can accomplish that goal.
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