ridecamp@endurance.net: John Lyons Clinic

John Lyons Clinic

Laney Humphrey (laneyh@mbay.net)
Mon, 20 Oct 1997 08:04:43 -0700

Roger and all -
I just finished a 2 day clinic with a local "horse whisperer" (I hate
using that term!). It occurred to me, about half way through, that we were
really learning about how to create and maintain a successful relationship
just like a marriage. Good marriages take a lot of work and committment
and so does a good relationship with a horse I am discovering. Ray Berta
says that horses give and give and give. That makes it easy for us to
conclude that all horses are naturally compliant without our having to do
anything - WRONG! If you have a horse that is easy to get along with,
consider it the great gift that it is, from the horse and from whoever
helped the horse be that way. Some horses and some people have a harder
time with relationships. It is our obligation as riders to help such
horses find the right way. And sometimes that can take lots of persistence
and patience, putting the horse in the position to do the right thing, then
giving him the freedom to make that choice over and over and over.
Ray went on to say that he wants a willing partnership based on good
communication and trust from both horse and rider in place before he asks
the horse to learn a "profession."
BTW, of the 15 clinic participants 3 do endurance: me working on
correcting a failed relationship with my horse, another adding
communication skills to an already successful partnership, the third with a
horse he has owned for a week that he wants to start of right with.
3 cheers for good communication, Laney

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