Doing Your Sport in Abroad- Riding Horses in Denmark!

Me on my owned horse
from back at home- Felix!

So for all of you who don't know, I ride horses. I've been riding horses for a long time now, and naturally, I wanted to include it in my life while in Denmark. My host sister rides horses as well at a stable not too far away from where we live, so, after settling a bit and getting more into the swing of things here in Denmark, I thought it would be a great idea to start taking riding lessons!

Coming to the stable for the first time, I was boiling over with a cocktail of anticipation and excitement to discover how the horse stables are run in Denmark. The first time I came was only to watch my host sister ride...

Right away I noticed differences.

The types of saddles and other horse tack (gear) that was used, the way the lessons were taught (other than the fact they were instructed in Danish), the exercises people did with their horses, the safety equipment that was used... etc.

Seeing all of the different ways of how people could ride their horses, seeing people wear vests while riding, seeing the different saddles and bridles that were used, these all helped me think in a broader perspective. I had never thought about these things, and I feel that being exposed to them has given me so much to bring home and share. This can be applied to any sport or activity I think. Of course, in different parts of the world, people do different things. It's quite funny to take part in something that you already know a lot about, but see another countries version of it. Comparing and contrasting the rules, methods, and goals can be quite fun to do.

Me with Gano!

Of course, when it came to my first lesson, I was nervous. "Will I mess up? I hope I make a good first impression. I hope I don't chicken out of something and look like an unconfident rider. I hope the horse doesn't act out. What if I don't know a special rule about riding that they have in Denmark?" I was saying that I wasn't nervous, and I was totally confident and cool, and I was super excited, and everything was alright. Though in reality, I couldn't concentrate to save my life. To an extent, the confidence wasn't a lie. I knew that I already had many years of riding horses under my belt. I knew I wasn't stupid. I knew I could do it. But of course, that underlying insecurity was trying its best to poke its nose out from underneath my relaxed cover.

Me jumping on Gano

Finally arriving at the stables, I knew I was going to ride a horse named Gano. As I interacted with Gano, he turned out to prove himself to be a really sweet horse. I ended up having a really successful first jumping lesson in Denmark all thanks to him! He reminded me a bit of Felix (the horse featured in the picture above) so being on him made me more comfortable. I'll put a picture of Gano here... I will also include a picture of another pony I have been riding at the stables here in Denmark named Cocktail!

Me with Cocktail!

Because Gano reminded me of Felix, I was able to calm my nerves and think about the riding. If you're an exchange student in a similar situation, or even just starting a new sport in your home country, thinking about things that are familiar instead of thinking about just the new and scary things can really help you drive your focus in the right direction. Being abroad has kind of forced me to learn how to deal with situations like this. Just going with the flow and not getting overly frustrated, embarrassed, or shy, can really give you a positive attitude, which is necessary to have while going through any new experience.

Thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate the support! I hope you enjoy reading this post as well! If anyone has any suggestions for topics they would like to hear about... they can contact me through Instagram! My Instagram account @mgjourneyabroad is based on my study abroad, and you can feel free to direct message me with topics or questions! Thank you!