Kudos: Why I decided to stop riding

Kudos: Why I decided to stop riding

After years of riding, Kia explains why she decided to stop

My first impression of riding was how damn slow everything was. When I started learning in 2014, we just walked and trotted for months. I thought I would be well on my way to cantering by then. Instead, I got caught up in the details of the technology.

However, as I became a better driver, I realized that it wasn't little things at all, but a fundamental part of learning. It's often said that the best drivers look like they're doing nothing at all, and I've learned that this is true. I was slowly and carefully taught many little things so that one day I too could call myself a rider.

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Kia operates in Montenegro, Ecuador and Namibia

When I was learning to canter, my teacher asked me to count my horse's steps and I remember thinking, "I'm already trying to keep my back straight (but also relaxed), my head up, my leg on, my heels down, my toes in, the reins loose, all the while making sure I'm walking off on the right leash. Should I count steps too?"

Experienced riders do all of this effortlessly and although I never got to that point, I finally learned to canter and jump. There were more than a few accidents along the way. I fell off my horse a few times, got kicked twice and kicked once (all with some lovely bruises). Last year I broke a bone in my right hand and couldn't ride for two months. However, like any good driver, I got back on as soon as I felt better.

I love horse riding. I love the thrill, freedom and romance of it. I love the calm temperament of horses. I'm impressed by how these incredibly powerful creatures can also be gentle and shy.

Mathilde Coolen

Kia’s riding holiday in Montenegro

However, as I learned to deal with them, I began to doubt what I was doing. If you're not a rider, you've probably only ridden a horse on vacation or on an excursion. In these cases the horses are usually saddled and waiting. They do not see the “bit” (a thick metal bar) being inserted into their mouth or the strap being tightened around their torso, often leaving an indentation when it is removed.

I imagined what it would feel like to have a thick metal bar in your mouth and a bridle around your head so you couldn't relieve the pressure put on it by the rider's reins. There are bitless reins, but they still put pressure on the head. It's true that most riders are gentle, but it's also true that when we ride, we literally put them in chains.

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Shutterstock

The bit is inserted into a horse's mouth so that the rider can control it with the reins

At first I ignored these little things. Much more experienced riders than me would tell me that horses like to be ridden; that their bodies were made for humans. I really wanted to keep driving, so I decided to believe them.

I drove for another two months until the UK went into lockdown. As restrictions began to ease, I came across an Instagram video of a young horse with his owner. It's portrayed as sweet and funny, but I couldn't help but feel that the horse was distressed and confused. Swap him for a small child and this treatment would be unacceptable.

My doubts grew as I watched an interview with lifelong rider and trainer Ren Hurst. In it, Ren explains why she made the difficult decision to give up riding after a lifetime of being around horses.

Ren Hurst explains why she gave up riding

Ren explains that those who claim to love their horses “have no idea that the animals they spend time with are in an absolute state of learned helplessness.”

Some riders argue that horses are domesticated and that submission is in their nature. To them, Ren says: “Basing natural horsemanship on the natural dynamics of horses as they are today would be like basing natural human behavior on observing a prison yard.”

Horses are intelligent and empathetic animals that would choose to live in nature and in large groups. They would choose to graze in meadows, run, play, and travel long distances. It's true that domesticated horses are fed and protected and therefore benefit in some ways from human ownership - but would they choose to be ridden?

alt="Horses Live in Groups: Stop Riding">DavidYoung/ShutterstockHorses choose to live in groups

Some riders say their horses love to be ridden; that they ask for it. Ren is very clear on this point. “This is crazy,” she says. "This is absolute madness. What's worse is that many of the horses that exhibit this behavior - that they like being strapped to another animal's dead body parts and having a metal rod in their mouth - are probably because their life experience is so limited that it looks like fun compared to standing in a stall all day."

Ren adds: “There is such a disconnect between this use of the word love and what we actually do with these animals. I know these people feel love for their horses, but if it's the same love you feel for your family members... Do you hold your family members in bondage, micromanage every aspect of their lives and climb on them whenever you want and ask them to show you around? The answer is no.'

alt="kia has decided to ride entirely">Atlas & BootsKia, pictured in Turkey, has decided to stop riding

Ren explains that her previous customers were often upset when they heard her story. “They knew that someone like me would never give up riding unless there was something deeply true about why I did it.”

I've thought a lot about this interview. I think Ren, which is why I was wondering if it was finally time to stop riding. I'm lucky that I have other passions (writing and traveling) and that riding is more of a hobby. I feel for those who have ridden all their lives and who see it as a lifeline that eases the pressures of everyday life. However, I wonder if they could spend time with horses without having to ride them.

Of course, there are situations in which riding is necessary. Rural communities rely on horses for transportation and income. However, I do it for pleasure. I don't need to ride and so I made the difficult decision to give up riding forever. As much as it pains me to let it go, I believe it's the right thing to do.

Main image: SL Chen/Shutterstock

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