I posted this in a comment area on Our First Horse and thought I'd share it here.
Why horses?
I wonder this often, particularly when I'm pressed for time and can't get everything done.
Then, I'm with my horse.
Everything falls away. I'm in a spiritual rhythm with some part of me that is more ancient, more real than almost anything else.
There are no long term plans in this circle with my horse. There is here and now. He looks at me, waiting. I ask him to turn and he does. He reaches out and I meet him. I lean on him and take in the smell of a horse's world: grass, dust, mud, and of course, fly spray.
And I laugh.
6 comments:
What a great sentiment!!! You express yourself so well!
Your video below was really fun to watch. I must admit that I have never been a huge natural horsemanship fan (I have more of an ecclectic approach), so I can't really offer you any tips to get Canyon to do what you want. From what I can see, he is pretty well engaged and listening to you.
It is obvious that the two of you have a great connection, and he is a really handsome horse!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Thanks Melanie, I'm glad that our connection isn't just in my head, if you know what I mean.
What type of approach do you use for training?
Breathe-
Your connection with Canyon is definitely not just in your head!!! He really appears to like you...lol!!!
I guess that my approach is a mix of several training/horsemanship styles (English, Western, Dressage etc..). I take bits and pieces from various trainers vs. just focusing on a select few.
One of the main reasons I have not been a huge fan of NH, is that a lot of the NH trainers (not all of them), seem to put a lot of emphasis on working your horse from the ground, and not enough emphasis on working your horse under saddle (that appears to be changing now though).
And while I totally agree that horses need ground work, and that it is the first step to establishing a bond/relationship with your horse, there is so much more to it than that.
My bias towards more traditional training methods may stem from the fact that I have usually ridden "hot" horses (Arabs), and a lot of NH trainers dismiss them as being too difficult to work with, when in fact they just require more time than a less challenging breed.
Anywho...sorry to ramble yet again, and just so you know, there are several NH trainiers that I think are fabulous...and several that I think are not...lol!!!! That goes for traditional trainers to !!!
Melanie,
I agree, NH is almost all ground work. And when something goes wrong in the saddle, they want you back on the ground.
But how do you get better in the saddle if you are never in it?
I'm becoming a much better rider, and I'm not focusing as much on ground work. I touch on it again about once a week, but I feel pretty good just getting on now. Before I felt like I had to convince him.
Maybe I was convincing myself...
I love this. You spoke from your heart...and from mine, too.
Thanks for putting it all into words. Beautiful...just beautiful :)
~Lisa
New Mexico
:)
Post a Comment