Spooking ~ Security, safety & comfort.

[Marv Walker <Marv@MarvWalker.com>]

> In a message dated 9/20/00 8:59:21 PM Mountain Daylight Time,
> Marv@MarvWalker.com writes:
> 
> << In actuality, the ONLY source of safety, confidence and comfort
>  a horse has is in the herd.  >>
> 
>     You must be talking about an untrained horse, a feral horse or some other
> horse, 'cause that statement is simply not true.  My horses, as well as
> others in the real world, defer to me when under saddle, and not because I am
> their "herd leader".  They have learned to trust me and THAT THEIR JOB IN
> LIFE HAS CHANGED AND THEY ARE NOT RUNNING LOOSE IN A HERD IN THE RUBY
> MOUNTAINS.   That happens over time and life experiences together...sure my
> horses and I play "join up" or "bonder" or whatever word you want to call the
> horse's responses based on the herd dynamic, BUT, that DOES NOT ALWAYS RESULT
> IN A RELIABLE MOUNT.  It must be BUILT from that point.

So, if I gather exactly, what you're saying here is that a 
horse ceases being a herd animal when it falls into your hands.  
You're also telling me that there is some mystical transition 
where the horse "recognizes" over time that it is no longer a 
herd animal and that it is really a servant.

There are many horses who would meet your definition of "trained" 
who would NOT defer to you under saddle.

What you are saying here is that a "connected" relationship is 
a product of time and effort.  That's exactly what I said.  All 
we really differ over is the amount of time it takes.  You say 
it takes considerable time and experience.  I say it takes a lot 
less time and is far more rapid and more predictable than you 
maintain.

No one said that the "bonder" procedure produces a perfect horse 
(even though it VERY OFTEN DOES) or that it is an end all to the 
need for a working partnership.  When one read a little of the 
material on my web site http://MarvWalker.com (which people who 
arbitarily dismiss the concept on the surface seldom do) they see 
that the procedure is but the FOUNDATION for a relationship of 
elevated communication.  It is but a launching pad that, if the 
flight plan is maintained, that will cement two different genetic 
beings into one cohesive team.

Is it the only way to do that?  Of course not.  There are countless 
little girls (and to a lesser extent boys) who could will their 
horses through situations that would make you and I faint.  And 
as you pointed out, it *IS* possible for a horse/human team to 
spend so much time together that they have worked out a happy 
medium and each knows the other better than they know themselves.  
But, those situations are relatively rare.  For every horse 
someone is getting along with, there are hundreds people AREN'T 
getting along with.  I show them how to get past those problems 
faster and easier than anyone else has been able to.  I show them 
EXACTLY how to quickly find and use the happy medium.  Hardly a 
day goes by that someone I have never even met doesn't send their 
appreciation and report the rapid changes you discount.

I show them how to simply and easily show their horses that they 
can rely on their owners for all their emotional and physical needs. 
At every clinic I do I send people home with DRAMATIC EVIDENCE their 
horse problems are not as involved as they have been told they are 
by people who say, "Just keep at it, it's a product of time and 
experience.  It's nothing a lot of wet saddle pads won't fix."

At http://MarvWalker.com/suzy.htm is an example of how rapidly a 
chamge can be made in a horse.  There is a horse in Arizona that 
the owner a long time experienced horsewoman had to have a pole in 
the center of his pen to hide behind because he had her, her entire 
family and everyone who knew him quaking in their boots.  You can 
find an excerpt of her letter at http://MarvWalker.com/prom.htm 
along with her email address.  I never laid a hand on him and it 
took less than 10 minutes.

Spooking is a product of fear.  Fear is an absence of faith.  Faith 
is a result of confidence.  Confidence is a product of security.  
Security is the result of capable, just leadership.  Capable, just 
leadership is the product of herd dyanmics.  The use of herd dynamics 
very quickly lessens, very often eliminates, spooking.

Desensitising does not give a horse security, safety or comfort.  It 
gives numbness and indifference.  To many, numbness and indifference
is not a totally bad thing.  I'd rather have awareness and confidence.

>      Have a nice "Mind Meeting Mind Moment",

Why thank you.  Even though I have a ton of them, I never tire of them.

Marv "I remember years ago sitting next to Linda Tellington-Jones 
and listening to her say something that I considered to be 
preposterous at the time.  Since then I haven't been as quick to 
dismiss." Walker
-- 
Marv Walker ~ Kellie Sharpe
Madison GA,  Oct 14-15th, 2000
Murfeesboro TN,  Nov 11-12, 2000
http://MarvWalker.com/clinic.htm