Pride

This one can sure be a hard pill for some to 
swallow........ "If you get bucked off or kicked or bitten,
you obviously did something wrong, and that's just too
bad. The horse, on the other hand, is never, ever
wrong." Ray Hunt

Pride is something I've always struggled with, along with a few other predator mind sets. I was taught, as most of us were, to jump right back on when a horse bucks you off. For confidence reasons this is incredible advice, however what they show you when they get back on to demonstrate, is to be crazy rough and rude to the horse. The typical image I saw from many riders was hopping on, see-sawing the horses mouth until the bit looked like it was right under their eyeballs, kicking them while see-sawing sending contradicting messages, and riding them in a tight circle while cracking them on the butt with the end of their reins. There is no communication in that, there is no valuable lesson learned, it's just a large child throwing a fit on top of a horse. Thankfully when I saw this it wasn't on my personal horse, rather a horsey friend trying to teach a young girl how to handle the situation, but very very wrongly. When watching that, even as a child, I was confused and sick to my stomach. However, it did teach me that a bad attitude was okay in the saddle.

Riding bridleless as a child improving attitude and communication

I have been doing natural horsemanship since I was 10 years old, so I was fortunate enough to
learn better alternatives to handing horses early enough to correct my methods. However, four
years of learning to have a bad attitude when things didn't go your way is something that has
taken me a very long time to change. I've worked really hard at adjusting my mindset, and I
continue to improve it every day. One of the best ways to overcome a problem is to admit it, so
here are attitude issues I struggle with, from both my LBE and LBI points of view:

1) PATIENCE, patience, patience

2) Knowing when to walk away vs. throwing a fit just to prove your point and making the
situation worse

3) Not taking what happens personally, but as data

4) Boredom. This might have you thinking "What? That isn't a behavioral issue!" but it is a
mindset that makes my attention to detail and my horsemanship sloppy, which can potentially
lead to a frustrating situation due to lack of communication on my part.

5) Melting down. I usually have a pretty good head on my shoulders, and I've worked insanely
hard at my emotional fitness. However, when it comes down to having a time line (i.e. being at
a clinic/workshop/trail ride at a certain time) and something goes wrong while trailer loading
(bad prior and proper preparation), Cheyenne feeds directly off of my emotions and gets
emotional herself, and I can go from my normal calm state and turn into a blubbering somewhat
hysterical mess. It's not pretty, and I'm far from proud of it, but it is a work in progress. It's better
to be late and arrive with a mentally and emotionally stable horse and human than to be on time
in a ball of stress and anxiety, and then have to safely unload the ball of stress and anxiety you
created in your horse trailer.

The lesson I'm focusing on today, for myself, is to let go of pride and embrace humility and all 
the beauty of a learning experience. I need to throw pride away before I even walk out my door
to the pasture, and take ownership of my state of mind and my approach when doing anything
with or around my babies. I have come a very long way since I was that 10 year old girl taking a
hold of a Parelli halter and lead rope for the first time, and I know I have grown into a good (and
hopefully one day, great) horsewoman. But there is always room for improvement, and
admitting it is half the battle.


"The horse is never, ever wrong." 

Higher Expectations

"When working with horses, expect a lot and accept a little. If the horse knows you have a high expectation, they're going to pay attention to you. If they know you're going to expect them to try hard, they're going to be focused on you, and you're going to feel that connection more. If you have low expectations and do a lot of rubbing and petting, that's all fine and good, but you loose a little something when you don't have a higher expectation. Focus on a goal. Even during struggle and strife, when you get through it, you will actually feel more connected, you understand each other to a deeper level, and that special thing occurs." ~ Kalley Krickeberg

I often see videos or pictures of incredible horseman, and to be honest, it sometimes looks a little rough. Especially when they're working with a high spirited or fearful horse. They obviously know what they're doing, but I often wonder why that take that approach. There are many ways to skin a cat so to speak, but not all the ways are right. But these are incredible natural horseman, and when you watch the segment to the end, when it is all said and done, there is an incredible bond between horseman and horse. And I think the above quote explains just that. Horse training isn't all touchy-feely, kittens and rainbows, warm and fuzzy experiences. There is going to be learning taking place, and sometimes that means controversy. It makes me think about when I was growing up, and when I disagreed with my parents, specifically my father. He sometimes told me things I didn't like, or that I maybe didn't want to hear, and it would lead to an argument. I would get upset, but once I cooled off and my emotions subsided and my brain decided to kick in again, the majority of the time I realized he was right. Yes there was a moment of us butting heads, but when it was all said and done I was back to being a daddy's girl and in the end I had a lot more respect for him. Conflict isn't always a negative thing, as long as it is navigated correctly. 

Ray Hunt working a young horse

I also love the main message of that quote, which is to expect more of your horse. It creates a higher connection between the two of you, and you achieve things you didn't think you could accomplish before. It's just like handing your horse to your Parelli instructor and watching them do things with your horse you've never done before. When Cheyenne was about 4 years old I took her to a L2 clinic with PP Marc Rea. We had done some sideways but not a lot, and at that point it was often slow and stumbly. Marc asked to use her for his sideways demonstration, and right off the bat he had her trotting sideways at the end of a 22' line. I had to pick my jaw up out of the arena sand after seeing that. It really showed me the power of intention and what simply expecting more out of a horse can do. It was so simple, but to me it was a huge "mind blown" experience that I'll never forget.

Horses conflicting with each other - It is all part of communication

So, the lesson for today kids, is to expect more out of your horse, and to push yourself and your horse out of your comfort zone more often. It's something I personally really needed to read, and something that every great horseman seems to preach. I tend to get really bored when working in the pasture, but it's my fault for staying within my comfort zone and not upping the ante.  Often your horse will amaze you at what they're capable of if you just present them with the challenge and allow them to shine.