Mrs B
Well-Known Member
I aspire to ‘horsemanship’. I know I have a long way to go, even though I am probably over half way through my life and have spent most of that time owning, riding and caring for these amazing creatures. But I am keen to keep watching and learning all I can, probably more now than when I was younger.
But how to define it? Horsemanship to me means attaining a level of innate knowledge of equines and equine behaviour which would enable me and whatever horse I was dealing with to have a mutual, angst-free understanding, of our places within our relationship and also of what is required and expected of each other.
The aim, I suppose, is create that invisible ‘connection’ which once felt is so magical it can make your hair stand on end!
So, what’s the point of this post? Simply to say that I believe there is no ‘One True Way’ to achieve the above. If you keep your ears and eyes open, you take bits from one and bits from another, experiment with them depending on the horse you are dealing with and the issues you are facing until at the end of the day, you have your own, personal ‘blue-print’ of horsemanship.
Where I take issue with ANY method, whether it’s Parelli, NH, barefoot ‘n’ bitless, IH or even ‘How they did it in the Days of the Raj’ is insisting that ONE way is the best, the ONLY way and if you don’t follow it blindly, you are not doing the best for your horse.
It’s that superior “You know not what you do” attitude which gives rise, for instance, to some of the more er... vocal responses to the recent Parelli posts. It is ignorance of others’ ability and experience in the first place and arrogance that any experience they DO have can be dismissed if it doesn’t follow ‘The Method’.
Where it becomes down right dangerous is when those who are new to horses, without a basic grounding through experience of the ‘dos and don’ts’ based on observation of equine behaviour, are swayed to follow a method without understanding WHY. We all know a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially where horses are concerned.
Do forgive my musings and I shall now put the kettle on and open the choccie bickies if anyone’s peckish...
But how to define it? Horsemanship to me means attaining a level of innate knowledge of equines and equine behaviour which would enable me and whatever horse I was dealing with to have a mutual, angst-free understanding, of our places within our relationship and also of what is required and expected of each other.
The aim, I suppose, is create that invisible ‘connection’ which once felt is so magical it can make your hair stand on end!
So, what’s the point of this post? Simply to say that I believe there is no ‘One True Way’ to achieve the above. If you keep your ears and eyes open, you take bits from one and bits from another, experiment with them depending on the horse you are dealing with and the issues you are facing until at the end of the day, you have your own, personal ‘blue-print’ of horsemanship.
Where I take issue with ANY method, whether it’s Parelli, NH, barefoot ‘n’ bitless, IH or even ‘How they did it in the Days of the Raj’ is insisting that ONE way is the best, the ONLY way and if you don’t follow it blindly, you are not doing the best for your horse.
It’s that superior “You know not what you do” attitude which gives rise, for instance, to some of the more er... vocal responses to the recent Parelli posts. It is ignorance of others’ ability and experience in the first place and arrogance that any experience they DO have can be dismissed if it doesn’t follow ‘The Method’.
Where it becomes down right dangerous is when those who are new to horses, without a basic grounding through experience of the ‘dos and don’ts’ based on observation of equine behaviour, are swayed to follow a method without understanding WHY. We all know a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially where horses are concerned.
Do forgive my musings and I shall now put the kettle on and open the choccie bickies if anyone’s peckish...