In the Company of Horses...........

(A year on the road with horseman Mark Rashid) by Kathleen Lindley.

I've just finished this book, it's easy to read and easy to understand. I always feel that if I get even the slightest thing out of a book, be it a phrase, a paragraph an idea, it's been worth the read. So yes, I think this book was worth the read.
Maria at Horse of Course asked me to do a little write up...

Consists of 11 chapters;

1. Point of View.
Well to my shame I've not always thought of things from the horse's point of view although I always try to nowadays.

"Over time, I've begun to understand that if we can find the source of the (horse's)behaviour, the why behind it, we can reach deeper and more lasting solutions to the problems we want to work on.  In order to do that, it is helpful to develop an ability to see the horse's behaviour and what he's trying to say from his point of view"

"Horses actually have a lot to say, I think.  It might sound fanciful and it might sound like anthropomorphizing, but horses obviously communicate with each other, so why wouldn't they try to communicate with us?"

2. Creativity
I don't know if I'm creative or not. I always say that I don't have a good imagination, so is that the same thing?

"When a horse tries to do what we want, that try may not look like what we expect it to.  It might be a little abstract.  But if we miss that try, we won't have anything to build on.  If we can get the horse to do something close to what we want, we can then shape that into exactly what we want - with a little creativity"

3.Practice
I certainly don't get enough practice with my horses and my life is certainly not as calm and straightforward as I'd like (who's is!!), so practicing horsemanship as a 'way to be' rather than practicing techniques is an interesting prospect. Certainly not an easy one to carry and practice all the attributes of a good horseman through to everyday life.

"So I began to practice my horsemanship as a way to be instead of practicing techniques. Mark (Rashid) talks about becoming a 'student of the horse' and I think this may be part of what he's talking about.  If we're a student of technique, which I have been in the past, we'll only get so far with things. But if we can become a student of the horse, the possibilities are infinite. 

If we've focussed on technique when we're with our horses, we may also tend to focus on our tools.  A tool may be a special halter or lead rope, a whip or a stick, a rope or any number of other objects. But the truth is, the best tool we have is with us all the time, wherever we go , It's us.  Now that's an interesting idea, because if the best tool I have to work with my horse is me, I've got me with me all the time, and I can practice my horsemanship all the time, wherever I go."

4. The Box
I mentioned this the other day to Trudi. Up until a few years ago I wouldn't have given it a thought.  I didn't even realise that I was in a box, never mind what label that box had. I think 'ignorance' would probably fit the bill.
"I believe that horses don't profit when we get stuck in our thinking. Horses live in a world of feel, not technique, a world of sounds and smells and sights. They adapt and blend and change with the world around them. They haven't read the books that tell us people what we can and can't do with them, and I think that to them, something is 'correct' only if it helps them. They're not worried about where the helpful thing came from or how pretty it looks or who thought it up.
When we put ourselves or our horses into a box, we limit ourselves to that little box - top, sides, and bottom.  If we stay in that box, we may never have the chance to discover what else is out there or what is possible outside of those familiar walls. If our goal is to be with our horses, I think we're more likely to find them outside a box than inside one."

5. Confidence
I lack confidence, and have a real fear of making mistakes with my horses,I hesitate to try new things, to experiment in case it's the wrong thing. It's something I need to work on.

"It made me think pretty hard about how we horsemen, myself not least among us, get caught up in all kinds of fears: fear of failure, fear of upsetting our horses, fear of upsetting our trainers, physical fear of our horses, fear of getting hurt, fear of doing the wrong thing.
Confidence in ourselves is something we don't often think of as an ingredient of good or successful horsemanship. But the more I watch and listen and learn, the more I start thinking that maybe confidence is one of those little-appreciated things that can truly make or break our horsemanship."


Fingers are starting to hit the wrong keys now so I'll continue tomorrow.
It's starting to thaw here now (finally!!!) I'm hoping for some riding weather soon.