Customer Reviews

A Leg Up: How I Learned to Horseback Ride Starting at Age 40

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At the age of 40 the author makes a list. A fairly long list of things she wanted to do. At the top of the list was learning to ride a horse. This book documents, in a personal way, her journey to become a proficient horseback rider. What makes it a compelling account is the fact that it did not come easy.

She figured seven lessons would be sufficient. Ha!

It took seven years before she was proficient enough to enter a cross-country competition. "I didn't think; I couldn't think... We headed directly toward the first jump. My intuition and right brain had taken over."

Another seven years and... "Somewhere in the middle of that hour, my balance in the saddle shifted, became more centered. My riding position suddenly changed - absolutely for the better, I could feel this amazing alteration, subtle yet incredibly significant."

Along the way were ups and downs. Successes and failures. And with each failure was the determination to get back on the horse and try again. This is a story, a true story, that illustrates in a heartfelt manner what it takes to succeed. And the tremendous reward when you do.

What a lovely memoir! As is always the case, learning something worthwhile and complex in your middle age or later, is quite a humbling experience. The learner has to overcome obstacles, both physical and mental, that simply aren't much of an issue during the years of accelerated learning and physical flexibility of one's youth. But the hard-earned rewards are sweet, indeed! Katherine Maxwell takes on the challenge of learning to ride, first timidly, but with rising resolve and the willingness to explore fully where this endeavor will take her. Her lessons learned - and the insights drawn from them for life in general, are described vividly and with gentle humor.

I enjoyed A Leg Up very much, particularly at night when I was tired and wanted to read something uplifting and positive. I looked forward to crawling into bed with this book and reading another chapter. The story moves in a gentle progression, describing how the author learns a difficult skill over time despite various hurdles she must conquer. The story is humorous and compassionate. By the end of the book you love horses and feel a deeper understanding of the partnership between rider and horse. You feel like it's time to go out and learn something new.