Bedtime Stories With JuneB - Taking A Horseback Ride

Want to drift off to sleep? Love sleep stories? Who doesn’t like a sleep story? Well if you do, then here is the perfect story to send you off to sleep. Another in the series, Bedtime Stories With JuneB.
 I'm here at my local stables about to go on a horseback ride. I love the beauty and majesty of these amazing animals.
Why not join me on this journey to deep sleep.
 Before you know it, you'll be fast asleep.
Beautifully relaxed and at peace. Listen often to get into that totally relaxed state.

Transcript

Hello beautiful souls,

This is JB and welcome to a beautiful night's sleep.

Thanks for being here for another in the series Sleep Stories with June B.

Join me as I take some time to go and have a horseback ride at some stables my friend recommended to me.

So let's get in your favorite sleeping position,

Make sure you're comfortable,

Close your eyes and slowly imagine yourself just melting into the bed.

Now let's go to your breathing,

Slowing down the heart rate and let's take some nourishing breaths together.

Breathe in,

Breathe out.

Last time,

Breathe in,

Breathe out.

Thanks for joining me on this trip to the stables.

When I was a girl,

I was fascinated with horses.

I would watch the dressage whenever it was on TV and my dad loved putting a bet on the horses himself.

A little flutter as we call it in the UK.

Betting was never my thing.

Although I did enjoy so much being around horses and when I was a teenager,

I went to learn all about horses and how to care for them and how to safely ride them.

So every Saturday morning,

I would make my way to the stables and start the interesting task of mucking out the individual stalls.

My deal with the stables was this.

I helped to look after the horses once a week in exchange for riding lessons.

It was a great trade off for me at the time as being a teenager,

My funds were limited and I also didn't want to just turn up like a tourist and only ride.

I wanted to learn more about the care it took to have a horse and experience and learn more about these majestic creatures that can be as intimidating as they are beautiful.

Needless to say,

I got my fair share of experience of caring for horses and watching the equestrian riders put the horses through their paces was a delight and a joy for me always.

I couldn't get enough of watching the beauty and power of these majestic animals.

So it has been a long time since I rode a horse and I wanted to feel that freedom and joy of having a horseback ride again.

So here I am at the stables about to go.

And here some of them come out.

They're nae-ing and blowing.

It seems like they're having a conversation with each other.

It's beautiful to hear.

There are other people here all going out for a ride this afternoon and looking optimistic about the adventure that is about to unfold.

Learning how to ride a horse takes practice and horseback riding lessons are an excellent way to learn the basics of riding and caring for a horse.

There are some beginner horseback rider skills to learn if you really want to learn about the horse that is.

So to begin with,

You have to master these basics first.

Step one.

How to put tack on the horse.

Tack is the name for the equipment that you use to ride the horse.

It includes saddles,

Harnesses,

Bits and many other items.

Making sure you learn how to put these pieces of equipment on and take them off safely is very important.

Next,

How to lead the horse on a rope.

As a beginner,

You will learn how to use a lead rope.

Learning to lead a horse is an important part of ground training.

Learning to lead your horse will improve your ability to control the horse's movements and improve your communication with the horse on the ground and more importantly when you're on the horse.

Next,

How to stop and start the horse.

That is clearly very essential.

You can learn how to stop and start the horse both on the ground and on horseback.

On the ground,

Stopping the horse will include verbal and physical cues.

Once on horseback,

You will use the reins to control the horse's movements in addition to other physical and verbal cues.

How to mount the horse.

Proper mounting techniques vary.

English and Western styles of riding each require their own particular method of mounting the horse.

Many beginners struggle to mount on the first time and may require assistance.

I have ridden horses for many years and I still need a step or a help to get up myself,

Especially when the horse is tall.

This is because new and older riders have not yet developed the muscle strength needed to mount a horse,

Which includes me.

With practice though,

You can build up strength and master the mounting technique for your riding style.

Now,

How to ride and walk pace.

Once you have established communication with the horse and know how to mount the horse,

You are ready to ride.

You begin with a walk pace and practice walking in a circle around an enclosed arena.

Riding at a walk pace is a great opportunity for you to learn how to direct the horse around bends and along roads.

Next,

It's getting more exciting how to trot.

My trot pace is slightly faster than a walk and slower than a gallop,

And the horse lifts each pair of diagonal legs alternately.

Learning to trot is an exciting step for a beginning rider.

The ability to trot indicates that the rider has learned to communicate with the horse and feels comfortable in the saddle.

Next,

How to move from a seated to standing position in the saddle.

The movement from a seated to standing position is called posting.

When you reach a trot pace,

An up and down movement of the torso occurs naturally.

To enhance this movement,

The rider presses down on the stirrups and keeps the ankles relaxed.

Without bracing the ankles to force an up and down movement,

The pressure on the stirrups and following with the natural movement of the horse will help a rider post.

So after that,

And that's a lot,

How to clean and groom the horse.

At the beginning or end of the lesson,

Some instructors will have you clean and groom the horse.

You will learn about the different types of brushes and how to use them.

Brushes such as a dandy brush and curry comb are used on different areas of the horse's body.

The mane and tail require a different brush than the body and face.

You'll also learn how to pick a horse's hooves.

It's really like a mini pedicure for the horse.

It is so much fun.

The key to learning to ride a horse is to be patient while mastering the horse riding basics,

Which we've just covered.

Taking your time as a beginner is essential in order to become a well-trained and safe rider.

So now we are off.

Looks like some of these riders are only interested in posing for social media.

I myself have had a long love affair with horses.

And I am enjoying this time being in tune with my horse for the day.

Listening to the hooves,

Clicking on the path and taking in the scenery is my idea of heaven.

I can trot,

So here goes.

Let's see if the communication between myself and this beautiful animal is in sync.

Oh yes,

Here I go.

At one with this amazing animal,

What a pleasure.

Many others are flying away,

Galloping with the horses,

Having a wonderful time.

It's so great and so calming to hear the hooves hitting against the grass or the road or the pavement.

Really,

Really calming.

Thanks for being here with me for a while,

Trotting,

Galloping and walking this horse has been a pleasure and a joy.

The sights,

The sounds,

The smells have brought me back to my time when I first learned to ride a horse.

It has indeed been a pleasure today.

I'm getting a little sleepy now and I'm sure you are too.

So as you slowly drift away,

Have yourself a great sleep.

And see you next time for another in the series Sleep Stories with Jun B.

Bye now.

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Reviews

Peaceful sleep story that helped me ease into slumber. I loved the trotting horse sound effects.

So wonderful how the story is read. I love the narration and the voice's expression is the right balance of energy for a sleep story. It gets more relaxing and experiential as we go through the story and then the horse sound effects continue so we can dream about riding. I'm so glad this exists.

This one, like the other JuneB Slerp Stories, is amazing. Thank you!