Be careful what you call your horse… Ever remember being told that the horse mirrors us as riders? It isn’t fictious or simply some casual reference to be thrown around in jest. The horse really does mirror us, but maybe not in the way you think.
It seems as though my contribution to my own blog has become slated to (hopefully) impermanent sporadic moments of free flowing ideas. In all truth, it has been used primarily as a mouth piece for my new online radio show. So, I figured that since I had a few moments I would at least add *something*… which is going to consist of one of my other interests – creative and poetic writing.
I’ve just landed home from the great state of Washington today. I lived northeast of Seattle for a year in 2005-2006 and fell in love with everything about it; the weather, the people, the scenery, the energy; and it always refreshes me when I visit. I’m full again of words, ideas, thoughts, hopes, questions, and a huge smile slapped across my face…
I’ve been thinking in terms of the way in which we interpret the world around us. As humans we have become dependent upon our eyes. Often if we cannot see it, cannot touch it, we do not believe it exists. It is then only an idea, a theory, etc.
There are two ways to be nice – authentically and inauthentically. What is the difference you ask?
Achievements and success seem to be the expectation of every person living today, young and old. The old we ask what they have achieved in their lifetime, and the young we ask what they will achieve in their lifetime. All the people in between we press for information; in what way are they achieving their successes?
I continue to come back to this understanding of horsemanship, equitation, riding, etc. Whatever you want to call our relationship with the horse, it is superficial. There is something much deeper than simple maneuvering the horse from point A to point B.
Are you a Negaholic? Even in disguise? Negativity is addictive, and can present itself in so many ways. Perhaps you are already aware of it, the first step, and now you are looking for a way to release those negative thoughts. Whatever the case, we came here for Change.. so how are the two linked together?
Ah, the old adage, “Less Is More.” It somehow manages to bring about reminiscent feelings of bliss in me. How is it that we so often fall off the wagon and work so hard for so little reward?
It isn’t that I am against dangerous stunts. I even find them entertaining when they involve a professional, who isn’t advocating that beginner’s should try this at home or are capable of teaching themselves how to successfully do them. There are many who do stunts and tricks and so on, that impress me to no end at the amount of physical strength, skill and tact it takes to do them correctly.
Those aren’t the stunts I’m referring to…
What does concern me enough to actually mention it, are professional trainers and clinicians who use methods which are more like stunts (I will elaborate on this more in a moment), and are teaching them to beginners and riders who do not have the skills for such tricks to be successfully put into action without putting themselves and/or the horse at serious risk. I see it time and again, and saw another video of it today that came posted in my inbox.
What do I mean by stunts? Well, things like using so much pressure on the horse that he will eventually blow up, but as a professional having enough tact and skill to manage the blow up and keep it from being something dangerous. That is a great stunt that is really common, but when put in the hands of those without the tactful skills it turns into a mess. Another one is ‘desensitizing’ by tying items to the horse and hoping he doesn’t run through a wall or over the top of you. A professional will know when to dodge, duck, dive or dip, but the average horseperson may not and this could mean the difference between whether you’ll be needing a different kind of duck or not.
There are many opportunities we are presented with as riders that can risk us putting the horse’s welfare second, or third, or…
