Clinic: Day Five

Horsemanship is the ongoing study of improving yourself from the horses perspective. It is not measured by the ability to complete the “human checklist,” but rather the emotional cost of going from one question to another with clarity. The biggest changes are made when you can apply the teachings in a variety of circumstances. 

On the final day of the clinic, Piper and I ventured out to the obstacle course at Harry's Ranch. There were plenty of opportunities to ask new things that would challenge her thinking. Harry coached me through how to go about asking her to step a hind foot backwards over a log without forcing it to happen. When she felt the pressure, she tried stepping sideways in both directions and stumbled around before she thought about maneuvering backwards over the log. The hardest part for the human in these scenarios, is to offer a search without forcing the horse into doing what we ask of them. Taking one hind foot backwards and over the log in itself was not important. It was the fact that she could search without falling apart, and in the end finding out that it wasn’t so troubling after all. Even though backing over an obstacle can seem like a small deal, these situations can build trust, communication and clarity within the pressure. 

Having a horse that is a good "all around" prospect is desirable for horse owners. This means that one moment you could be working on transitions in the arena, and the next you could be out on the trails or going over obstacles. Achieving this goal revolves around helping a horse to become relaxed with clarity about the things we ask. In the focus of getting a horse sufficient at completing certain tasks, we often forget the Horsemanship piece, which is the foundation of anything done well with a horse.