Sura of Britain

When the visage of my friend Sura comes to collect itself from memories in my mind, immediately following all coherency of thought, arrive the words of 'equestrienne' and 'princess' in cadence. To me is she the fair princess royal of a vast, distant & ethereal island. With her noble countenance of an english rose perennially gracing the finest fashions and always attending only the most lavish of renowned soirées. Sura's character is my story's analog of Peter's very own Princess Tiger Lily & this article that follows you now is a brief detail of her historical equestrian origins.

AVANT - How did you begin your equestrian lifestyle? How old were you when you first began? Did you have any influences like relatives or friends?

Sura - I began riding when I was about 6 or 7. My mum hated it- she thought it was too dangerous. But me and my friend really wanted to start riding so we moaned until we got our own way. The first riding school I went to was called Spring Paddock.

AVANT - How often would you ride horses when you first started? How long did it take for you to become proficient at riding?

Sura - Hmm.. well I had a few breaks in between riding. I had lessons every week until I was about 12 or 13. My friend then got a horse, Heinz, so I stopped lessons and just borrowed him. Then didn't ride again until I was 19. I think I am a better rider now than when I was younger, but I don't have the confidence that I had then. As you get older you start to realise that horses have a mind of their own and are in fact pretty dangerous....

AVANT - How often do you ride now?

Sura - Well, I was riding every week with the University of Manchester team but then I finished my degree in May. So since then I've been trying to find another good riding school to go to! It's difficult trying to find one near the city centre though for obvious reasons. I've probably only ridden 3 or 4 times in the past 9 months. I really miss it!

AVANT - What do you typically wear whenever you ride?

Sura - I normally wear jodhpurs, ankle riding boots, a polo shirt, and a helmet! Sometimes a body protector if I'm jumping.

AVANT - How did you feel when you first started riding? How does it feel now that you are more of an experienced veteran?

Sura - To be completely honest I can't remember much about when I started riding, all I know is that I loved it and wanted to get everything to do with horses and riding! Stickers, t-shirts, magazines, pencil cases etc etc. I wrote 'pony' on my christmas list every year until I was 10. Riding is still as enjoyable now as it was then, you can't get bored of it.

AVANT - Any advice to those who may wish to get started? Secret techniques to calm a horse or earn a horse's trust?

Sura - I'd just say the most important thing is to relax and be confident. Horses can sense fear, which in turn makes them scared. They need their rider to let them know everything is ok.

AVANT - How does one befriend a horse & earn it's trust & obedience?

Sura - At the school I have ridden at for the past few years you are on a different horse every week, so it's a little difficult to gain trust. However, being patient and giving them attention such as a good pat if they jumped well and plenty of grooming afterwards are good ways for a horse to get to know it's rider. In terms of obedience, it's the confidence thing again, the horse has to know that you are the one in control.

AVANT - What is the longest that you can ride now?

Sura - I tend to only ride for an hour at a time if I'm in a paddock. After an hour your attention wades a bit and you get a bit lazy which results in a confused horse. If I'm on a hack, sometimes we ride for 4 hours. But it can get a bit much. A couple hours is perfect.

AVANT - Have you ever entered any competitions?

Sura - No, it's never appealed to me. I like to go riding for pleasure, and the thought of a competition just stresses me out! We had a couple of competitions for our class, just as a bit of fun, but I was so nervous!

AVANT - Do you have your own personal horse?

Sura - My favourite horse at my old school was a tiny white pony called Lightning. She was so small and I was definitely too tall for her but she was a great jumper and very reliable!

AVANT - If you could have a dream horse, what would it be? What color eyes & mane, what gender & what would you name him/her?

Sura - A palomino!!! They have always been my favourite horse! I even have a plastic one on the shelf next to my bed that I've had since I was little. A palomino has golden hair, with a white mane and tail and they are beautiful! I would want it to be a girl and be called Bamboo (there was a TV show in the 60's about a palomino horse called Mr. Ed - whose real name was Bamboo Harvester).

AVANT - Do you ever have dreams of riding unicorns?

Sura - erm.. YES! That would be pretty cool. I'm currently reading a book at the moment actually called, 'The Natural History of Unicorns'.

AVANT - What do you think of pegasus'? Winged horses. Would you own one? Or do you find them frightening?

Sura - I'd definitely own one!! Not sure how I'd prevent it from flying away though...

AVANT - What terrains have you ridden horses? Mountain forests? Sandy beaches? Or controlled situations like indoor establishments?

Sura - Mainly indoor arenas and outdoor paddocks - this is the only way to really learn how to ride properly. But I love hacking out, through woods and open fields! I haven't ridden on the beach but I'd love to. The closest I've come to that was riding a palomino through Crete.

P.S.

Earlier this year, Sura & I made a promise to draw each other's favorite animal in our respective visions & artistic stylings.  I painted her a seahorse & a real wild horse in watercolor.  Today.  Tuesday.  March 23rd, 2010-- I receive her end of our promise!