From the horse’s mouth
MIDRAND – Horse breeders from the Rumbavu Park Stud in Harare visit South Africa and offer a word of advice.
Cowboys in movies make riding a horse look as easy as getting in the saddle and shouting ýee-haw’.
But as many Midrand horse riders will know, there is much more to it.
Noelene Peech and Lexi Horton from Rumbavu Park Stud in Harare, Zimbabwe, don’t just breed some of the country’s most beautiful horses, but they also train riders and help them how to get the most out of their horses.
The pair, along with Peech’s family, are currently visiting South Africa to see friends and local stables, and for Horton to compete in some local shows.
Lunging her new horse, Capital Capone, at Fourways Riding Centre in Midrand, Peech identified some areas that are sometimes approached incorrectly.
“Too many people dominate their horses too much and squash the life out of them,” she said.
“Riders need to be sensitive and patient when they train their horses. They need to find balance and the right situations for when to be soft, dominant, when to ask and when to reward.”
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She said the top riders never look like they have to work to control their horses because the rider and horse share an understanding.
Horton agreed with this, and also believes trainers often make riding more complicated than it should be.
She explained that if riders and their horses work too rigorously on the technical aspects rather than having fun while training, then they both lose their joy of the sport.
Without forgetting all the important movements, posture and technique, such as those required in dressage, riders must have fun and not take it too seriously.
“I would also say that riding is like the golf,” said Horton.
“They are both individual sports where you play against yourself. You have to be mentally and emotionally strong so that when the hard times come, you can stay determined and committed to what you are doing.”
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