The hardest part of starting late is the patience. Your body knows it's behind, and you can't outwork that with hours alone.
My trainer says it like a chorus: shoulders back, hips loose, don't apologise. The apology is a small forward tilt — the body asking the horse for permission to be there. The horse, predictably, accepts the apology and ignores the rider.
It took six months to ride a canter circle without flinching. It will probably take six more before it looks like nothing.
