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California Riding Magazine • September, 2010 California Riding Reader Writes... by Sarah Noble |
I ride horses. I am confident. I know I can win. I am courageous. I can fly through the air on the back of a wild animal. I am responsible. I feel dirty if my horse isn’t clean. I am an explorer. I am always ready to try a new course or a new piece of flat work. I am a communicator. I can speak to another species. I am patient. I help kids with their ponies. I am daring. Life is a challenge. I live in the moment. I can capture special moments. I am a dreamer. A perfect day is sitting in the grass with my horse chomping at the green around us. I believe in myself and in the world around me. I am a composer. I can create a blue-ribbon-worthy rhythm: a musical gallop. Horses have taught me the value of time and the necessity to live in the moment, giving all you can because it is the only way to receive anything back.
Sarah Noble and Neo. Ever since third grade, horses have been my mentors. The barn was my playground: an enclosed miniature world where failure was a means of growing. Every horse, like every person, had its own needs, its own special set of necessities. I learned the only way to work with them was to accept what they required. My horse taught me how to help people, how to give myself to others. My horse also showed me how to be confident. I learned to believe in the decisions I made, whether the choice was between a five-stride line or a direct four, I had to commit and ride it the best I could. I became sure of my abilities. He taught me how to be courageous. When he was on an IV in the hospital, his soft nicker when I presented a bag of fresh carrots was a small assurance that everything would be okay. He taught me how to love. Because of him I am responsible. The little things count, and when dealing with a horse that likes to roll in the dirt, the details sometimes overwhelm me. But I make sure he is spotless. I know that many hands make light work, and I understand that helping others is the price we pay for living. He taught me how to appreciate that. He instilled in me a desire to learn and to explore. I wanted to ride with the big kids. I wanted to fly higher. I was and am on a quest to gather all the knowledge and the understanding I can. My horse accompanies me on that pursuit. I learned how to speak, how to have an opinion, how to trust. He taught me how to take a joke. He stuck his tongue out of his mouth when I was riding. It always made me laugh. He taught me that life doesn’t always have to be serious. He taught me how to communicate and how to cooperate. The way to be successful is for both of us to surrender our desires and pick up the reins together. Then we can win. But sometimes I am stubborn. The braided leather rips through my hands letting me know that I hold on hard for too long. This sudden jerk is a small reminder that he is teaching me how to let go. As I prepare to leave this moment of time behind me, I am confident that I can embrace whatever lies ahead of me. My horse has prepared me for the bigger challenges in life. He has shown me how to balance a perfect picture. He taught me the right way to live.
Sarah Noble is 18 years old and lives in Rancho Santa Fe. She graduated from The Bishop’s School in La Jolla and will be attending Middlebury College in Vermont this fall. In addition to riding she has played competitive soccer for the past 10 years, traveling around the country for tournaments. Once at college she hopes to walk onto the soccer team as well as ride horses on their college team as much as she can. Sarah has been riding at Newmarket in Del Mar for almost 10 years. She got her first horse in January of 2006 - his name was Pie (show name was My Piece of the Pie). A year ago he got a staph infection in his leg and the swelling never fully went down, so he was retired. This summer he was diagnosed with lymphoma and sadly, passed away. Sarah began leasing a horse named Neo (show name Matrix) this spring. They have been showing in Low Children’s and Children’s Hunters and just began doing jumpers on the grass at the Oaks.
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