05/19/2026
YES!! 🎉👏🏻♥️ Getting off your horse is so important! Hand walking has so many benefits for both of you!
I took my pony for a walk today.
I could have ridden him, long reined him, lunged him, ''worked him'', but instead, we went for a walk.
No bridle, no saddle, no roller, no side reins, nothing but a halter and a leadrope.
I know what you're thinking.
''Oh she's one of those types''
A rope wiggler, a bit ''woo woo'', natural, holistic, soft…
Funny, isn't it?
How quick we are to judge someone doing something completely harmless, yet barely blink at horses coming out of the start box, jumping 1.40s or trotting down a centre line carrying layers of metal, leather and pressure - oh, and a titanium hood for good measure.
What we question and what we normalise can feel a little backwards sometimes.
On the outside, this was just a walk, but really it was more work than a lot of traditional exercise.
He walked over different terrains, choosing where to put his feet with no input from a rider.
He walked up and down hill, having to balance himself without being held together.
He was free to stretch and sniff, working over his back.
He maintained regular rhythm in his steps with no interfering hands or nagging legs.
He saw the world at his pace, with time to take in different sights and sounds, with no rush or pressure.
And I watched him.
I watched where struggled, where he didn't, where he hesitated, how we thought, how he responded, how he coped - all things you don't necessarily see from the saddle.
So yes, we went for a walk… but he gained more physically and mentally from that walk than twenty minutes in the arena could have given, and I learned far more about the pony I have, not just the one I ride.
Can we start normalising the basics and foundations, and start calling out those that skip those vital steps and reach for the bigger bit instead?
That would make a bit more sense, wouldn't it?
