The Horse Needed Another Rider

THE FIRST time I rode a horse, I figured I’d watched enough cowboy pictures to know how to do it. So I jumped up on the horse and said, “Giddy-up.” The horse would take two steps forward, then back up three steps.

I assumed I had a crazy horse. In fact, I told the attendant that I needed another horse. He let me know that my horse was fine, but that he needed another rider.

I didn’t understand the problem with my riding. I was making all of the sounds that I’d always heard on TV and kicking him like I’d seen on TV. The attendant told me that all those sounds and kicking were fine but wouldn’t work at the same time that I was pulling back on the reins.

The horse was thoroughly confused. He didn’t know whether I wanted him to go forward or step backward. Many of us are going two steps forward and three steps back and we wonder why we’re not making progress.