The Magic of Cantering

When I was a little kid, I daydreamed a lot.  Much of my imaginings were the common fare for a girl my age, including magic of various sorts as well as frequent visits to extensive animal kingdoms.  Horses were the steady constant in each elaborate fantasy and every time, as the movie in my mind played, at some point, I would end up riding a galloping horse, swiftly, effortlessly, wind in my face, hair flying free, traversing as fast as we could, over rolling, green hills and through enchanted forests.  

These days, as a full-fledged adult, tasked with adult responsibilities and worries, it has become easy to forget the importance of those fanciful reveries that were so integral to my childhood.   As a riding instructor, I am charged with the practical work of keeping students safe while they practice skills.  Unfortunately, this creates a dynamic in which it is routine to dissociate from the miraculous aspects of horsemanship.  This is tragic because it means that my lessons are likely missing the point, entirely.  That is, I did not become a riding instructor to simply teach people how to ride horses.  I became a riding instructor because I was inspired to share the magic of horses with others; I wanted to relay my own experience, spread the news, so to speak, teach the language that could offer a portal to something transcendent.  That is it - that’s what it’s all about!  Thanks to a couple of my young students who were learning how to ride the canter for the first time, that all came crashing back.  Witnessing their experience provided me with a much-needed, greatly appreciated refresher on purpose. 

 Let me go back a bit to explain.  In terms of life experiences, the implications of the cantering or loping milestone are monumental for my riding students.  Once kids, who are learning to ride, feel even just the beginnings of balance, fledgling confidence bears out the desire to go faster.  This invariably means they are eager to canter or lope, a three-beat gait from which the most powerful equine speed is derived.  The canter is beautiful. powerful and rhythmic - truly, poetry in motion.  If you are into that kind of thing, insert daydreams here...  If you are not able to conjure your own frame of reference, picture any epic, adventure film in which the protagonist is courageous, exploring the countryside astride a galloping steed.  When students experience this for real, in real-time, engaged in the challenge, and focused on the moment, the resulting alchemy creates a wild offshoot comprised of pure, energized, delight.  This process is, otherwise known as, flow state.

From here, add liberal amounts of oxytocin, which is generated by the rocking motion of the canter as perceived through the rider’s body.  Oxytocin combines with the emotional bond that is forged through the rider’s relationship with the horse and voila...the student has all the motivation and fortitude they need to accomplish their goal.  Up to this point, the student has probably already accidentally experienced riding a lope or canter.  Countless times, I have seen the scenario play out: their steed may be feeling a bit frisky that day and the green rider inadvertently sends a particularly strong cue, and...away they go!  Three or four strides of unchecked, thrilling bliss happen next.  The rider’s eyes are huge, as the recognition of related yet paradoxical feelings penetrate consciousness.     I remember it well, something like terror and joy in the same instant, an untethering from the world as it has always been known.  Raw freedom can be as scary as it is rare.  

And then, it’s over.  Signaled by the significant daylight between their rider’s back pockets and the saddle seat, the horse realizes their partner wasn’t ready to go, that fast, quite yet and so he breaks to a bouncy, grounding, bumpy trot, jarring the student back to reality, breaking the spell.  However, the moment serves as a taste of what is possible and the child never forgets it.  So, when the day comes that they can ask their mount to canter off and they are able to stay with the horse’s swifter, strangely pendulous, three-beat rhythm, able to keep going, able to maintain this elusive flow state, it is literally a dream come true; the wish is realized, magic does exist.  

Of course, it is a long road to get here, so much goes into it; realizing dreams requires work, most of it, humbling and very difficult.  The rider will have had to cultivate a dynamic partnership with their horse which has tested and strengthened their character along the way.  Faith, courage, perseverance and grit are powers realized and bolstered while on the journey.  For the student who keeps going, their reward is immeasurably valuable: wholehearted, resilient, unconditional love, reverberating between horse and human.   

Turns out, beyond horses, these traits and capabilities are also determinants for a good life, one that is meaningful, successful, and happy. Working with horses is not just a metaphor for life, it is a blueprint for personal growth, psychological well-being, joy, and connectedness.

In the end, it is a very simple story.  A person dreams of doing something amazing, so they focus and practice driven by that singular purpose. They work very hard.  They press on through physical and emotional pain, fear, and unknowing.  They remain a steady, faithful friend to partners and allies. This particular story happens to be about horses, but really, it can be applied to any endeavor.  Though the details, unique tragedies, dramas, and minor or major injustices will vary between individuals, the prize is the process and its value is invariably universal. 

-Victoria Williams