My Adventures with Horses

I am very much a believer in putting purpose to principles. Unfortunately our Western world is very focused on keeping busy: qualifying, working, developing so that you can work, keeping on developing, so that eventually, if you live to see that day, you can retire. We are good at keeping busy! But, I don't think that we are particularly good at knowing why we work, what the purpose is in doing something, and what principles we stand by. Its not that I think work is a bad thing, not at all, but I try to place my foundations before specialization. Part of that foundation, is an emotion-based learning, which is not immediately visible to the outsider. To me, it looks something like this (starting at the bottom):

I apply these principles wherever I can. As Pat Parelli says "Good, better, best, never let it rest. Get your good better, and your better best". I am aiming to be the best me that I can be, and to use all the opportunities and challenges that come my way. I try to encourage those around me to do the same, and I also expect my horses to give me their best. I feel that it's important to clarify that the best my left brained Level 3 horse does looks entirely different to the best of my right brained Level 1 horse; what it boils down to is whether the horse is trying. And more importantly, whether I've created a scenario which makes them want to try.

Our foundations are based upon simple things such as playing the Seven Games at phase 1; me standing on my horse; asking the horse to cross water. The size of the foundations are always based upon the size of the building. I bear this in mind and so I see all our current experiences as foundations. We are constantly using principles (such as put the relationship first) with a purpose.

 

With the South Downs Way on our doorstep and the New Forest an hour away, it is inevitable that one of the things we enjoy doing is long distance riding. It allows for many things - map reading, orienteering and navigating; good exercise for human and horse; enjoying the beautiful English countryside, and quality relationship building time for all participants.

 

I find that this is an especially good experience for younger horses, as we come across all sorts of obstacles.

 

Our local Natural Horsemanship group is good at organising things, and we had a super day recently practising On Line and Freestyle skills on a cross country course.

 

At home we have an increasingly well equipped 'playground'. It is such fun to find different ways of playing the Seven Games with different obstacles and objects.

My young sisters enjoy their ponies, and I help them with whatever they are doing - on this occasion it was Gymkhana.

And of course, I am an eager spectator at horsey events, especially if natural horsemanship is included.