I guess saying business is slow is an understatement right now. It is to be expected but, boy, the consequences of such may be the end of me. And I'm not talking finances. Let's see if I can keep this PC....
When I'm bored the Internet is my playground. Think about it: you type in just one word, hit enter and *BOOM* information. Dangerous. Very, very dangerous. For instance, I think I have discussed before when I have looked up equine dentistry. Yeah, THAT never ends well, haha. Yep, not only can you search and find ANYTHING, you can also create whatever nonsense you wish and develop a website that goes out to the entire world. The naive and the experienced. Now granted, some may consider what I post nonsense. That's fine because I'm not proclaiming to be an expert on anything. Again, I'm just bored and like to write (occasionally I've been told i do so decently, so what the heck, right?). Some of you putting some of that shite out there as "experts".....shame on you. I don't need to list anyone specifically...just type "equine dentistry" into your search engine ;)
Now today, I tried a new search. I didn't type in "natural horsemanship", I just chose a couple higher profile trainers/clinicians.....Read the rest of this and take a wild guess..... So, I type a name in and the controversy abounds! I like it! ;D
Here's where I stand on training in general. I do like some aspects of Natural Horsemanship, depending upon the trainer (or "trainer" as it may be). At one time, I would have told you that you needed a round pen to accomplish anything with any given horse. BUT I have matured both personally and in my horsemanship skills. I took 2 terrific training classes in college. One was a required class and the other was an elective for my major. The required one was an Applied Training class where we were to take an unbroken, young horse (has been halter broke and can be handled) and get it started under saddle by the end of the semester (roughly 4 months). The elective class was Training the Therapy Horse where we worked our assigned horses in-hand for the semester, with the goal being to theoretically get them ready to be used in the therapy program at school (because of the size of the class, we work with any school horse that needs better ground manners). I though going into the class that they would be two totally different schools of thought and theory. Wrong-O. One was classically based (Applied Training) and the other natural horsemanship based (Therapy Horse) BUT, they had the same base!
It's all about respect. Not fear, respect. It's also about how you carry yourself around the horse.And I'm here to tell you, you don't need do spend hundreds (hint hint) on gimmicks to learn and apply this to your horse. You don't even need a round pen! *gasp* All you need to do is learn to assert yourself to the horse. I'm not saying its easy because it does take a bit of practice to get the hang of. Once you change how you THINK around the horse, everything falls into place. Of course, that is the tricky part, haha. That's where a good instructor comes in. Not always an easy find but you'll know them when you find them. I lucked out in finding 2 of them and having them both in the same semester. That semester was mind blowing to say the least.
I worked a with a little TB mare I fell in love with, in the Therapy Training class. Sweet little jumper that had trust issues to say the least. She had essentially tuned out. I don't know if you've ever seen a burned out lesson horse that's clocked out but that was Ivy. Too many riders, too much poor riding by a previous owner. In the beginning, she didn't know me from Adam. By the end of the semester her ears, head and neck were relaxed, she was engaged in her environment and she started testing her boundaries (in a good humorous way :). It was so, so, rewarding and I wish I could have brought her home and turned her out for a few months to re cooperate and be a horse. And the basics we started with (and built on during the semester) were as simple as walking with the handler. Then advanced to walk-halts, trot-halts, backing up, side passing, standing and staying. Once we had their undivided attention, we worked over tarps, with exercise balls, squeaker toys, bubbles, the ramp, wheel chair, etc..
Again, no gimmicks. No extra money outside my regular tuition for the semester. Just the basics. Do I still value a round pen? Sure I do. However, it's not an end all anymore for me. I like rope halters, I do own one yet a regular halter and lead do just fine for me. Maybe if you don't want to show at all, a gimmick is for you. And I'm not saying all of those clinicians and trainers out there are gimmicks. I have a lot of respect for the trainer that gets out there, really teaches you the material, answers your questions and can adequately defend their style of training. If you can't adequately defend your training (lets face it, things don't always go as planned) and all you do is push your style and your products, I don't really have time for you. I have a great relationship with my horses, Bubby in particular. And to be honest most that has come from working around him. If he's in cross ties, he has to stand. At the mounting block he has to stand. In the stall or at the gate, he has to back up before I'll open the door or gate to let him out or in. Its the little, minute details that build the relationship. What I've done through all that is proven to him that I can lead. Horses want stability, not gimmicks. They also prefer patience.....some of you may know who that is referring too.....I can think of 2 that I've seen in person but I digress.
No one person is necessarily right nor wrong. All I ask is that you look for red flags before following blindly. If you HAVE to buy THEIR stuff - red flag. If they bash other trainers/styles - red flag. If in watching them live they never actually show you HOW to do any of the training - red flag. Again, this is in reference to a few different trainers I've seen in person.
Education, education, education. KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid
"There are only two emotion that belong in the saddle. One is a sense of humor, the other is patience."
Aahhhh, Craig Ferguson is over??? Only took an hour to write :P
Til next time!
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