Spotlight – September 2019

9/2019 Spotlight 39

Out for a “jog”
Cycling lesson over, it’s time to trot, or
“jog,” as it’s called in Western riding.
“Just think trot and it will happen,”
Laukemper tells me.
Surprisingly, it does. He moves my left
calf against Mimi’s side as he jogs along-
side me. “Bam, bam, bam,” he calls out in
time with each movement as we increase
and decrease in speed. Even at its fastest,
the jog remains slower and smoother
than a bouncy English-style trot.
We move up a gear to a “lope,” Western
riding’s relaxed version of the canter. I sit
back in the saddle and add gentle leg pres-
sure and Mimi responds. We lope around
in a circle a few times.
“Now, canter English style!” calls out
Laukemper. “Sit up straighter, take up
both reins, and off you go.”
I break Mimi into a canter — back to
familiar territory.
“Now, Western again!” calls Laukem-
per.
We go back to the comfortable lope.
“And now pick up the reins with your
right hand, move the reins higher up

bouncy [(baUnsi]

, federnd, holpernd

gear [gI&r]

, hier: Gang(art)

lope [loUp]

, leichter Galopp

twitch [twItS]

, Zucken

versatility [)v§:sE(tIlEti]

, Vielseitigkeit

whisker [(wIsk&r]

, Tasthaar; hier: Nüs-

ternhärchen

If you ride

http://www.westernreitschule-christian-

laukemper.de

08063 53 08120 / 0172 6035914

info@westernreitschule-christian-

laukemper.de

THE US IN GERMANY

the neck, and canter working equitation

style!”

Laukemper is certainly making Mimi

and me work, both mentally and physi-

cally. Mimi’s versatility amazes me. She

switches between different riding styles

without so much as a twitch of her whis-

kers, even with an amateur like me on

her back. I wish I were as competent as

she is. Western riding was fun, but I see

what Laukemper means: What I want is

to learn to dance with a horse — English,

Western, whatever — the style of the

dance doesn’t matter.

Laukemper demonstrates
the importance of a close
connection between
horse and rider in the
Western riding tradition