Monday, December 17, 2007

Let's Do It Our Way

I was thinking today that what I practice, I bring to my horse. If I am consistent, even-tempered and patient, my horse will feel that. She will trust my judgment and follow my lead.

Horses are always aware of what’s going on around them. They are consistently attentive in order to protect themselves. I think self-preservation breeds awareness. If I can calm the inward part and go inside myself, I will also go below the surface of the horse to touch its spirit. My focus will bring the horse’s attention to what we are trying to do.

I know how I feel when someone forces me to do something. It usually doesn’t make me want to do it. It certainly doesn’t make me want to spend time with that person. I always work together better with someone if we share the same goal and ideas.

It was a relief and a revelation to discover horse trainers like Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt and Mark Rashid. They validate what I know in my heart is the way to best communicate with my horse. They also make me realize that I have so much more to learn.

When I ask my horse to do something, my goal is that she understands what I want and that she wants to do it too. The horse doesn’t have to do my thing my way. I hope she'll do my thing her way and like doing it.

2 comments:

Callie said...

Nice post! Thanks for visiting my blog. I've written a response to the winter thing for your California girls. Since your girls are used to a warmer climate, have they grown winter fuzzies? Good luck with the winter weather.

Anonymous said...

Tom Dorrance,Ray Hunt & Mark Rashid seem to have the inside track on what a horse needs and how they learn to listen. I like Bill Dorrance's book also. It's just my opinion but horses do much better when they are led by a person with an inner calm. Our feelings are communicated to the horse and they in turn react to their surroundings. From years spent watching our herd, I can tell you that the bully will be obeyed,sometimes grudgingly, but a horse with quiet dignity will lead and have the true respect of all he comes in contact with.