Everyone sends different signals to the horse, and each horse responds differently to each person. In simple terms, it means everyone has a different feel for the horse. Experts call this “horse sense,” just like in music it’s called “musical sense,” in swimming it’s “water sense,” and in ball sports it’s “ball sense.” Of course, some people have better feel than others. I know Ye Hua has great horse sense. She rides a horse named Happy. When others ride it, it veers off course and needs the reins pulled to one side, but when she rides, there’s no problem. She naturally communicates her intentions to the horse through body language. The horse receives her signals and runs as she wishes without needing the reins pulled. Bang Ge also has excellent horse sense and specializes in riding spirited horses. This isn’t something you can do with just courage and strength—you also need to have a sense of how to communicate with the horse. If you truly have no feel at all, get scared the moment you mount, and can never overcome your fear or find the right feel, then it’s best not to take up this sport, because everyone knows that sometimes feel is innate.

　　Now let’s talk about actually knowing how to ride a horse. Just being able to gallop on a horse doesn’t mean you know how to ride. Even a fool can do that—just put any fool on a horse, and as long as they don’t fall off, they can run. Does that count as knowing how to ride? So don’t assume that being able to gallop on a horse means you know how to ride. So what does count as knowing how to ride? I think everyone has a different idea. I’ve chatted with friends from the horse team about this before. Some say it’s being able to jump obstacles, others admire the so-called “hidden stirrup” move where you pick something up off the ground while riding. As for me, beginners all go through the experience of having their insides turned upside down by the horse’s bouncing. That’s usually because they haven’t mastered a specific technique called the “light trot step.” Herdsmen call it the “small bounce.” It means rising and falling in rhythm with the horse’s steps—supporting yourself with a slight lift each time. If the horse’s rhythm is fast, you follow quickly; if it’s slow, you go slowly. Once you master this movement, the horse won’t toss you around until your insides feel like they’re flipping. It looks better and feels more stable. At this point, you seem like you know how to ride. It’s the shift from being controlled by the horse to not being controlled. Later on, you can even control the speed and range of motion—that’s when you’re truly controlling the horse. So overall, being able to control the horse counts as knowing how to ride. But this is just the most basic requirement. It’s like graduating from driving school—you can drive, but not necessarily well or without accidents. After that, you still need to gradually hone your skills. Some people pick it up quickly, others more slowly.

　　Now let’s talk about truly knowing how to ride a horse. Just being able to gallop on a horse doesn’t mean you know how to ride. Even a fool can do that—just put any fool on a horse, and as long as they don’t fall off, they can run. Does that count as knowing how to ride? So don’t assume that being able to gallop on a horse means you know how to ride. So what does count as knowing how to ride? I think everyone has a different idea. I’ve chatted with friends from the horse team about this before. Some say it’s being able to jump obstacles, others admire the so-called “hidden stirrup” move where you pick something up off the ground while riding. As for me, beginners all go through the experience of having their insides turned upside down by the horse’s bouncing. That’s usually because they haven’t mastered a specific technique called the “light trot step.” Herdsmen call it the “small bounce.” It means rising and falling in rhythm with the horse’s steps—supporting yourself with a slight lift each time. If the horse’s rhythm is fast, you follow quickly; if it’s slow, you go slowly. Once you master this movement, the horse won’t toss you around until your insides feel like they’re flipping. It looks better and feels more stable. At this point, you seem like you know how to ride. It’s the shift from being controlled by the horse to not being controlled. Later on, you can even control the speed and range of motion—that’s when you’re truly controlling the horse. So overall, being able to control the horse counts as knowing how to ride. But this is just the most basic requirement. It’s like graduating from driving school—you can drive, but not necessarily well or without accidents. After that, you still need to gradually hone your skills. Some people pick it up quickly, others more slowly.