The Praxis of Horse Riding

In an autoethnographic approach, theories of practical knowledge were used to explore the praxis of riding and to describe, interpret, and analyze the interspecies relation between rider and horse during riding. Both rider and horse are embodied subjects taking part in an active process of “becomin...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Mari Zetterqvist Blokhuis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Humanimalia 2018-02-01
Series:Humanimalia
Online Access:https://humanimalia.org/article/view/9542
_version_ 1827791243114971136
author Mari Zetterqvist Blokhuis
author_facet Mari Zetterqvist Blokhuis
author_sort Mari Zetterqvist Blokhuis
collection DOAJ
description In an autoethnographic approach, theories of practical knowledge were used to explore the praxis of riding and to describe, interpret, and analyze the interspecies relation between rider and horse during riding. Both rider and horse are embodied subjects taking part in an active process of “becoming with”, and as a result of the interaction, both parts change and adapt to each other resulting in a shared practical knowledge. To build a trustful relation during riding, the rider’s as well as the horse’s emotions and feelings need to be taken into account. It is suggested that there are two kinds of “equestrian feel”, one connected to the rider’s body feeling of the horse through his/her body while the other is an “inner” equestrian feel when rider and horse move as one body, like a centaur. The latter could be seen as an expression of phronesis since it is guided by what is good for the human (and hopefully the horse) in itself rather than aiming at a specific outcome.
first_indexed 2024-03-11T17:44:22Z
format Article
id doaj.art-f6b06e0f430d4da5bb8324e8bc3a0249
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2151-8645
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-11T17:44:22Z
publishDate 2018-02-01
publisher Humanimalia
record_format Article
series Humanimalia
spelling doaj.art-f6b06e0f430d4da5bb8324e8bc3a02492023-10-18T08:39:53ZengHumanimaliaHumanimalia2151-86452018-02-019210.52537/humanimalia.9542The Praxis of Horse RidingMari Zetterqvist Blokhuis0Södertörn University In an autoethnographic approach, theories of practical knowledge were used to explore the praxis of riding and to describe, interpret, and analyze the interspecies relation between rider and horse during riding. Both rider and horse are embodied subjects taking part in an active process of “becoming with”, and as a result of the interaction, both parts change and adapt to each other resulting in a shared practical knowledge. To build a trustful relation during riding, the rider’s as well as the horse’s emotions and feelings need to be taken into account. It is suggested that there are two kinds of “equestrian feel”, one connected to the rider’s body feeling of the horse through his/her body while the other is an “inner” equestrian feel when rider and horse move as one body, like a centaur. The latter could be seen as an expression of phronesis since it is guided by what is good for the human (and hopefully the horse) in itself rather than aiming at a specific outcome. https://humanimalia.org/article/view/9542
spellingShingle Mari Zetterqvist Blokhuis
The Praxis of Horse Riding
Humanimalia
title The Praxis of Horse Riding
title_full The Praxis of Horse Riding
title_fullStr The Praxis of Horse Riding
title_full_unstemmed The Praxis of Horse Riding
title_short The Praxis of Horse Riding
title_sort praxis of horse riding
url https://humanimalia.org/article/view/9542
work_keys_str_mv AT marizetterqvistblokhuis thepraxisofhorseriding
AT marizetterqvistblokhuis praxisofhorseriding