Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Trail of learning
I would find these crumbs, sometimes, in the most unexpected places. If I set out to find a specific crumb, I would often find several completely different crumbs along the way. This could be both exciting and frustrating. On the one hand I would have gained more knowledge that would help me with other training issues, on the other hand I would be no closer to finding what I was initially looking for. It is important, however, to be open to these other trinkets of information. You never know when you are going to need them. For instance, I had been working on getting my mare Foxy, to bend first laterally, then vertically. We were trotting in a circle as I was pressing my heel into her barrel while lightly tipping her nose inside the circle and massaging the rein until she softened and gave the bend I was looking for. While doing this, I noticed when she softened she would become more collected, and as I allowed her to straighten and move forward not only did she keep her collected frame, she continued at a slower pace. This was important at the time, because she was the type of horse to get over exited and somewhat out of control in new places. Now I have that little bit of knowledge, to help her to calm down and become collected in new environments. This has made a huge difference in her performance and our relationship. Had I not noticed this product of the flexing lesson, I would have kept on thinking her being “high” was merely a nervous issue, instead of a softness issue. Wow! What a revelation! I feel kind of fatuous now when I think of all the horses I could have helped with this little crumb.
It’s like a big puzzle. When we are looking for a specific piece, sometimes we find another, but know exactly where it fits into the picture. [Life can be just this way.. Or .. We have to wait a long time before we figure out where the puzzle piece fits!]
Always In Search of Horsemanship
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Welcome Horse people!
Opinions are Like…..
The thing about opinions is everyone has got one and I have never seen too many that are the same. I was developing opinions, and still do. I would rather not though. It seems to me, that once a person gets caught up having an opinion, it gets hard to change their mind. Even if all the facts seem to point out, that the opinion they have become so attached to, is wrong. This is a strange phenomenon that occurs with everyone I know. So I try not to (but I can’t always help it) develop opinions. If a person could have a theory instead, maybe they would be more apt to adjust it as necessary.
I think it is very interesting how when you come across someone who gives you a breakthrough in your learning, that suddenly you close your mind to all others, at least until you come to a point of frustration and their ideas or techniques don’t seem to be working. It is at that point when you stop and think that there might be someone else out there that could help you. This has occurred over and over in my quest. The first time I really experienced this first hand is when I ran across my first “natural horsemanship” trainer. I was in Las Vegas for the first time ever, to see the National Rodeo Finals, when we happened on a show at Excalibur, I sat down, not knowing what to expect. All I knew was it was a show called “Day of the Horse.” I was always ready to watch anything to do with horses. It turned out to be this horse trainer. What a strange venue, I thought, for a horse training clinic/show. This trainer named Dennis Reis, talked for a while, then did a few neat three ring circus type acts, then at the end all the lights went low, and the song “All the Pretty Little Horses” started playing, and one by one all the riders gently laid their horses on their sides. By the time the last horse laid down, I was full out bawling. I had never seen anything like it! The rest was like a blur; I just was intent on finding more out about this guy and his training techniques. He sold his videos and special tools at the end of the show, so with the help of my date, I ended up with a “starter kit.” From that point on I was a living breathing commercial for this guy. I would not hear any information contradictory to what Dennis Reis was saying. When someone asked me a question about training my answer would always begin “Dennis does this technique..” I was committed to his methods after all they worked for him and his students. I wanted what they had accomplished with their horses. It didn’t take too long for me to come to a point where his methods couldn’t get me through a problem I was having.So.. I started to search for another mentor. I found Clinton Anderson, and I was a walking, breathing commercial for him too, then I found Ray Hunt, Buckranaman, Mark Rashid, etc.. I have come to the conclusion that no one person will have all the answers I am looking for.. I will continue to learn all I can from anyone I can, even if it is what NOT to do.
Always in Search of Horsemanship
The thing about opinions is everyone has got one and I have never seen too many that are the same. I was developing opinions, and still do. I would rather not though. It seems to me, that once a person gets caught up having an opinion, it gets hard to change their mind. Even if all the facts seem to point out, that the opinion they have become so attached to, is wrong. This is a strange phenomenon that occurs with everyone I know. So I try not to (but I can’t always help it) develop opinions. If a person could have a theory instead, maybe they would be more apt to adjust it as necessary.
I think it is very interesting how when you come across someone who gives you a breakthrough in your learning, that suddenly you close your mind to all others, at least until you come to a point of frustration and their ideas or techniques don’t seem to be working. It is at that point when you stop and think that there might be someone else out there that could help you. This has occurred over and over in my quest. The first time I really experienced this first hand is when I ran across my first “natural horsemanship” trainer. I was in Las Vegas for the first time ever, to see the National Rodeo Finals, when we happened on a show at Excalibur, I sat down, not knowing what to expect. All I knew was it was a show called “Day of the Horse.” I was always ready to watch anything to do with horses. It turned out to be this horse trainer. What a strange venue, I thought, for a horse training clinic/show. This trainer named Dennis Reis, talked for a while, then did a few neat three ring circus type acts, then at the end all the lights went low, and the song “All the Pretty Little Horses” started playing, and one by one all the riders gently laid their horses on their sides. By the time the last horse laid down, I was full out bawling. I had never seen anything like it! The rest was like a blur; I just was intent on finding more out about this guy and his training techniques. He sold his videos and special tools at the end of the show, so with the help of my date, I ended up with a “starter kit.” From that point on I was a living breathing commercial for this guy. I would not hear any information contradictory to what Dennis Reis was saying. When someone asked me a question about training my answer would always begin “Dennis does this technique..” I was committed to his methods after all they worked for him and his students. I wanted what they had accomplished with their horses. It didn’t take too long for me to come to a point where his methods couldn’t get me through a problem I was having.So.. I started to search for another mentor. I found Clinton Anderson, and I was a walking, breathing commercial for him too, then I found Ray Hunt, Buckranaman, Mark Rashid, etc.. I have come to the conclusion that no one person will have all the answers I am looking for.. I will continue to learn all I can from anyone I can, even if it is what NOT to do.
Always in Search of Horsemanship
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
