For me the example of pottery works.. First you start with the clay... Now I imaging the clay is myself.. You have to be able to shape yourself, be flexible be moldable.. You need to be able to shape yourself.. Be in ownership of your mind, your emotions, your reflexes... You need to find calm, stability... like a rounded ball of clay ready to be formed...
People who are hyper, who are controlling, who are not fully in charge of themselves well never be able to be that ball of clay.. They will be squares, or two balls or an oblong, or something other then right shape to start out with..
If you want to learn horsemanship, you need to learn how to be in command of yourself..
Then I think horsemanship is like making a bowl on a potters wheel. Now people like Buck can turn out vases and pitchers and cool designs and wondrous things on their potters wheels.
Yet on mine, I would be happy to just shape a bowl. A perfect, simple bowl.
I think learning horsemanship is like learning how to make that bowl. To much spin on the wheel and the thing falls out of shape, to much pressure from our hands and we loose the shape, to much water and the entire structure falls, to little and it breaks apart. It is a fine dance between the force of our bodies and the starting material, the horse. It is blending of the two.
This week I learned how to move around a horse, how to be smooth, gentle, or strong depending on the situation. I learned to support the horse in a way that felt good to him, felt right to him, so he wanted to be around me. Not with treats, ( though they have their place too ), but with the energy of my body and the smoothness of my motions. The direction of my energy.. All this combines to make the horse feel at ease, correct and safe..
It is in the end, all they are looking for, direction and support.
HiHo~
L
No comments:
Post a Comment