I'll never forget the words of a ruddy old horse trainer and the look on his client's face when he heard them.
The client's horse wouldn't lope. That's like a canter in English riding. It's the next higher gear right after the trot.
Well, this guy's horse would NOT lope. He tried for years to get her to lope. He would plead, kick, yell, make kissing
noises and meditate on the problem.
Then he would buy a new saddle and some fancy shin boots for the horse. Then a new bridle and bit.
Nothing. No matter
what he tried the horse would NOT do what he wanted her to do.
When he approached the trainer with his history of problems, he was convinced there was no hope.
That
was until the trainer asked if he could take a ride.
To the amazement of the horse owner, within 5 minutes his horse was loping happily in circles, changing directions and doing whatever the trainer asked.
When the trainer brought the horse back, her owner blurted, "Why can't I get her to do that!?"
The trainer said:
"Because you're not yet the kind of rider a horse will lope for."
Ouch. That's not what a guy wants to hear. What the hell does that mean anyway?
In this video, I explain what the trainer told him.