Well, it has been a long, long time since my last post! I am ready to start adding a few newer posts and keeping a little more current with my blogging!
Lots of things have happened this year, new shows, new venues, new horses, old horses getting better, new equipment, etc! I am very excited about 2012 although it is almost half over already. I have a couple of really great ponies that are showing or are going to get their first starts this year. With that being said, here is a few things that I have learned already this season.
First, always go back to the basics. To get the most performance from your horse, warm him up the way you ride him during training. Softness, willingness, and levelness have to come from the normal routine that you have established every time you work with your horse. Weather, different places, and daily attitude can make a big difference in your horse's output. If a horse is given a chance to fully warm-up, his performance stands a greater chance of being equal to his abilities. My warm-ups consist of a little lounging to work off the freshness, sometimes not more than a couple circles in each direction to a lot of running depending on temp and attitude. This also gives an opportunity to look at soundness and equipment. Next, softening drills are done. I like to do some disengaging, small circles, tight serpentine, bridling-up stops, asking all 4 legs to move independently, and lots of flexing. I then go through my gates and transitions. Lead departures, rollbacks, turn-arounds, and lead changes are next. After I feel there is no freshness, lots of softness, and great respect, I then can enter the show pen or work environment. Lots of testosterone junkies, bronc riders, and time constrained people will say all this is not necessary. My reply would be, "If your horsemanship isn't your first priority and you want to look like a fool, go ahead, hop on, and get after it!" Believe me, I have pulled the "fool thing" many times, even a couple this year! Its all a process!
Second, what are you riding and horsemanship goals? I read an article recently discussing this. Set your goals and work towards those. Knowledge is power! The further you take your horsemanship the further you should take your education. Look, listen, and learn from people that known for their horsemanship. If your goal is to trail ride on a nice broke horse and enjoy the scenery, find someone that is reputable to find you the right horse, help your riding skills, and take you places that are great for enjoying the scenery. If you want to be a world champion barrel racer, find a reputable trainer that can take your current skills and couple them with new techniques and the right mounts to move you up the ladder. Once you set your goals, constantly assess and tweak them to get where you want to be. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, and it wasn't built without skilled architects!
Lastly, I am constantly reminded of our place on the earth in regards to our animals. God gave us dominion over the beasts of the fields not to forcibly make them comply to our desires but to work in harmony to accomplish our goals and serve their purpose. I have seen some incredible examples of both sides of this story. A man's heart is really revealed when a animal doesn't comply to his suggestions. I am constantly reminded of Proverbs 12:10, "A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the compassion of the wicked is cruel." Jerry Lee Sewell always reminded me, "As little as possible, but as much as necessary!" I think we can all learn a lot from these two insights, not just about horsemanship but about parenting, being a spouse, and sharing our world with others. I have not begun to grasp all that can be learned about this but have learned to step back and look and listen a little bit more before speaking and acting. I hope that others will begin to realize want God meant for us through our relationships with animals and other humans!
I always want you to know that things I write, say, and do are not the perfect, the best, or the only way to do things. These are what I have learned and that work for me and have worked for others. Like the Bible says, everyone must work out his own faith. There are always solid, unchanging principles, but for our relationships with God, mankind, and our animals, it is a work in progress. It is continually changing and improving or regressing depending on our attitude, willingness to learn, and the place where our priorities really lie. Thanks for reading!
