The stable starts before the arena

A horse senses you before you mount. While I'm walking down the aisle with the bridle, she can already tell whether I'm calm or in a hurry. First contact, then a command: a hand on the neck is a conversation, not a caress. You don't choose the weather, you choose your form. A training session missed because of rain isn't rescheduled; it disappears. Walking is also work: half an hour is spent warming up and walking.