Marwa Bouabid ’23
Guest Writer
Dear Lynn Jacobson,
I am very honored to be chosen for a riding scholarship award here at Mount Holyoke College for the spring 2021 semester mod 2.
I am currently a sophomore double majoring in computer science and mathematics, I work as a linear algebra teaching assistant and I am the class of 2023 Social Chair. Besides my schoolwork, I like to nourish my unconditional love for horses with riding classes, and I would like to share some aspects of my passion in the following paragraphs.
The most important lessons horses teach us are not the most evident and usually have little to do with riding. But even as a fairly new rider, I know that they are usually the most impactful.
Horses teach us how to communicate. Unlike humans, they cannot really process and analyze our words. Rather, they respond to our body language, our tone, our sounds and our actions. They are fascinating in the sense that they are a perfect reflection of what we convey. Most often than not, if a horse does something unexpected, it is because the rider is doing something incorrectly. Perhaps using the reins too much or applying more pressure with one leg. Twizzler, one of my favorite horses, usually responds to the slightest stimuli. The first time I rode him, I got upset about him not listening to me, but later I found out that he was probably listening a lot more than I thought, and that I was simply not aware of my body and demeanor! That interaction with Twizzler completely changed my perspective on some of my relationships, especially with my family members. I now take time to acknowledge my faults when I miscommunicate, or when I sometimes offend or hurt my loved ones without really realizing it.
At the barn, I also learned to let my guard down and to allow myself to be vulnerable, which completely went against my instincts at first. But one cannot lie to a horse. If I am nervous, my horse will feel the stiffness of my spine or the tightness of my thighs on the saddle. Even if I try to lie to myself, the horse will know the truth. And, if I don’t put down the walls I built to be more genuine, I won’t gain the pony’s trust. After all, why would he give up control if I don’t?
Another inestimable piece of wisdom I picked up when I started riding is the importance of enjoying the present. Horses do not care about who I will be in the future, or who I was in the past. They care about who I am now, and, more specifically, what I am doing now. If I am unhappy about something that will happen after my riding class, the horse I am riding will feel my anger, and might even get unmanageable. So, I learned how to stop, breathe and be mindful of the present moment.
Most importantly, horses showed me what forgiveness truly looks like. No other being can let go of yesterday as ponies do. The other day, I was doing a figure eight in class with a horse named Scout. My instructor drew a big “X” in the middle of the arena to mark the middle of the figure. It seemed that Scout was aware of the plan and willing to engage in the activity when he suddenly saw the X shape on the floor, halfway through the loop. He got extremely scared and probably thought “Help! What is this dangerous shape on the floor!” And as many horses do when they spook, he threw a tantrum and started running everywhere. He was panicked for a moment, until I brought him back down with some soft talking. Then, I carefully took him to take a closer look at the cross, and he eventually understood that it was harmless. We then proceeded to complete the figure, with no grudges held against the evil shape. What I took away from that lesson is to know when to move on. When life puts a scary X shape on my path, I am now able to reevaluate my plans and face things again without being haunted by my past.
I should also mention that the horses, as well as the equestrian community at Mount Holyoke, are like my family away from home and that they helped me tremendously with my mental well-being going through the COVID-19 pandemic. They gave me purpose and reasons to keep going during these difficult times, and I would have never made it this far without them. Riding horses in college was probably the best decision I have ever made. With them, I am becoming the best version of myself, and for that, I am forever grateful for your generous gift, for it made this learning experience possible for me this year.
Sincerely,
Marwa Bouabid
Class of 2023
April 20, 2020