St Thomas Aquinas was an Italian Dominican priest, scholar, and theologian who died in 1274 A.D.. Aquinas wrote (paraphrasing) that all animals were a gift from God for humans to exploit and use for their purpose.
CORRECT VERSUS EFFECTIVE RIDING
THE BLACK SHEEP OF EMOTIONS
Is Horse Riding Cruel?
Seat and Legs
Notice that the way my legs come into play is very different to the traditional inside leg on the girth and outside leg behind the girth. This is because I’m not trying to use my legs to control the horse’s bend. I try to influence the thought of the horse and when that is right I let the horse balance itself around the turn.
Confidence
From the start, let me say that nobody should feel bad or apologize for having fear issues. They are real and not to be trivialized. And an appropriate level of fear is even desirable because it will help a rider make smart decisions and give more consideration to how a horse is feeling. A little bit of fear makes a person a better horse person.