Thursday, December 29, 2016

Authentic Horsemanship

We are super excited for 2017, and all the great things we have lined up to help YOU with YOUR Horsemanship!

To start the New Year, we are releasing the first Volume of a 12 Volume E-Book series.  In Volume 1, titled "Authentic Horsemanship", we take a look at what creates a real, genuine relationship with our horse.  What is the intangible stuff that can take us past a cooker cutter method, and give us a path to understanding horsemanship on a much higher level?  Below is a short section from the book:
The development of a relationship with a horse consists largely of the thoughts, feeling and energy that we hold during our time with our horse.  These thoughts, feelings and energy can be seen on a spectrum ranging from positive to negative.  Of course, the more positive we are, the more positive the relationship with our horse is going to be.
Likewise, the more negative we are, the more negative it will be.  The key to building an authentic relationship is to become aware of the energy that you are projecting during your time with your horse.  It is one of the most important things you can do to increase your ability as a horseman.

For their to be an authentic relationship, both horse and human have to overcome fear, and avoid arrogance.  In the middle we must both find confidence and competence. 

A horse can help us learn a lot about our own identity.  As a human, it is natural for us to want to know what makes us important as an individual.  Our society puts a lot of importance on tangible success, such as a great career, winning a big award, making a lot of money, and so on.  Unfortunately, we do not so easily reward ourselves as individuals for having great relationships.  Quite often, in fact, our relationships suffer because we are in pursuit of such things.  However, in the world of horses, the relationship is what makes the individual.   
This insight can have a large impact on how you view yourself with your horse. When you understand that the biggest concern a horse has is their standing within the relationships of a herd, you can begin to see that we must have self reflection in order to offer the horse something that it would choose to want.  In other words, if you don’t spend time learning your strengths and weaknesses, you will only have so much to offer a horse.  This is because you won’t take the time to figure out what adjustments you need to make in your own identity in order to become attractive to the horse.  Horses are the masters of authenticity.  They can spot a fake a mile away, and if you don’t have something to offer them that they are genuinely interested in, then they will commit to you only so much.  This doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, it just means you have to be willing to search within yourself to discover the best part of whom you are that your horse truly wants to be with.  Within this, you will find willing cooperation from your horse.
 To learn more about Cooler Horsemanship, and the number of ways we can help you advance your horsemanship, click on the link here: Improve Your Horsemanship Experience!