A lesson in easy transitions from Rosie.

As I was drinking my cup of coffee this morning, I found myself musing about last night’s riding lesson, and I started thinking about transitions.

Change can be hard, scary, a little bumpy. We aren’t sure what’s going to come next, and we don’t always like that.

I’ve been struggling recently with learning to ride the canter. Honestly, I’ve been afraid, and resisting, and the horses have been sensing that. Last night I realized that it’s the *transition* from trot to canter that unnerves me.

Last night was different. My trainer put me on Rosie, a Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse. She’s gaited. That means, she walks and she canters, but she’s got no trot. She’s very smooth and comfortable to ride. So, I’m riding her around the arena, Rosie picks up the pace, and my trainer says, “Congratulations! You just cantered three steps and didn’t even know it.”

What was the difference? The transition from the walk to the canter was smooth. It wasn’t hard. It wasn’t bumpy. It happened with ease.

Change doesn’t always have to be hard. Doing something new can feel good and be fun. As a good friend of mine often says, “How easy can you let it be?”