>>>> It's funny, it seems that people's perception of riding etc is very different in the USA to in Europe. Over here, you would expect to be cantering after about 10 lessons, and galloping out on the trail after, say, 20 lessons or so. A lot of people gallop regularly.
Maybe there's another clue - "you would expect to be cantering after xx lessons" - does it matter what number you fill in for the xx? Why do people expect to reach certain milestones in a certain period...? Who sets the expectations? Is it ok, just because it's the normal expectations? >>> My neighbour David started riding recently (big horses, not Icies) for the first time in his life, at the age of 54 (roughly - plus or minus about 5 years!). He's been having lessons for about 3 months now. OK, he doesn't have confidence issues, but he's going hunting on a borrowed horse in a couple of weeks time. This is not particularly unusual over here. Oh, that sort of thing is perfectly common in many circles here too...but I don't think it's as common as it once was. Not by a long shot. Nor do I think that makes it right, just because SOME do it. We have plenty of "macho" cowboy type here in leadership roles such that even more and more MEN (imagine that) aren't feeling particularly obligated to have to live up to the highest challenge presented to them. It's been an interesting phenomenon to observe. In the USA for a good 20 years, we've seen our "mainstream cowboys" (Lyons, Parelli, etc.) give sage advice like the old "ride where you can, not where you can't" phrase. BTW, my daughter's first instructor had her jumping after about 8-10 lessons. We found another instructor. Even Emily knew she wasn't ready, and I certainly knew better, even though I was a novice owner. We could have settled with what we found, and said that was the "expectations", but we moved on, and found there were plenty like us who wanted to have fun, be safe, and have good relationships with our horses. Karen Karen Thomas Wingate, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.503 / Virus Database: 269.15.31/1129 - Release Date: 11/13/2007 9:22 PM IceHorses Community for Photos and Videos: http://kickapps.com/icehorses "The greatest enemy of the truth very often is not the lie- deliberate, contrived and dishonest -- but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." "All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident." ~ Arthur Schopenhauer [] Lee Ziegler http://leeziegler.com [] Liz Graves http://lizgraves.com [] Lee's Book Easy Gaited Horses http://tinyurl.com/7vyjo [] IceHorses Map http://www.frappr.com/IceHorses Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IceHorses/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
