To Lesson or Not to Lesson?

That should not even be a question!

I've met many people who are fascinated by horses enough to want to 'get' their own horse. Often, acquaintances or people I've met will ask me my opinion about buying a horse - where do they start?

I run through all the typical questions with them: Why do you want a horse? Are you aware of all the aspects of horse ownership? Have you budgeted for all the upkeep costs (and we go through the breakdown - the initial purchase price of the horse is dwarfed when compared to maintenance costs, never mind emergency vet bills should they happen).

Why wouldn't you want to lease a horse, part-board or take weekly (multiple?) lessons first, to see if you really are interested in all the associated responsibilities in the long run?

And then, after all these questions are articulated and clearly answered, I hit them with my final question: Are you willing to take lessons (yes, on your own horse!) long-term?

At times, this can become a contentious issue. Many people are not committed to taking lessons, especially if they are themselves, or know of, long-term horse owners. The argument: "Well, so-and-so has had horses forever and never took lessons. They learned from their horse, and they're doing just fine!"

The world of lessons opens up a range of experiences that are not possible to achieve on your own:

- technical know-how (this should go without saying - you can't possibly "know" how to do something if you've never been officially taught it in the first place!)

- help in resolving problem behaviour or finding the source of issues - riding or horsekeeping

- exchange of ideas and information (from a person who presumably knows something you deem valuable to hear from)

- goal setting advice from someone other than yourself (where are you now? what should be your next step?)

- encouragement when you need it, and a "push" when you equally need that

I watch with wonder when some people get on and ride their horses with nary a lesson in years, while on the other hand, I see the "top riders" of our sport working tirelessly with their mentors/trainers even though they are at the peak of performance and technical ability. Of course we are not all heading for the Olympics, nor are we riding in that sort of capacity. But certainly some input can be useful for everyone at some point in time.




As for the final question: How do you know if you've found the right instructor?

The answer to that one is easy - just listen to your horse!

What are your thoughts on taking riding lessons? Comment below.

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions. 

This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.

Click here to read more and to join one of the most complete programs on the Internet!

Horse Listening

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Horse Listening Book 2
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Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

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Would you like to be the rider that all horses dream of?
By following simple, useful exercises, you will be able to develop a better understanding about many topics including:
- the rider’s aids
- the use of the seat
- the half-halt
- accurate turns and circles
- transitions
- horse ownership and horse care
- goal setting for the rider
- rein lameness
… and much more!

Available as an eBook or paperback.

On Enjoying the Path

path
Photo Credit: NBanaszak Photography

I can hear you now – you’re groaning… the path?? How can “the path” be fulfilling?

You might ask: doesn't “the path” translate to tedious repetitions, lack of acknowledgement or recognition, stumbling blocks, frustrations, steps backward more than forward, and all the other associated negativities that occur when something is practiced day-to-day, week-to-week?

What about the glory of the goal, the clear, final call of reaching the destination, the accolades and the photo finish? How about the sense of accomplishment, the personal gain, the reward of achievement?

Well, you’re right of course. Goal setting is paramount in all activities, especially if they are long-term and difficult to complete. Without a sense of where we want to go, there would be no ‘path’ to speak of. And we all require and crave (at some level) for a sense of recognition and a feeling of a job well done.

But in horse riding, the majority of the time is spent on the path itself. The achievement of goals are short and fleeting, maybe because the horse is a living and breathing entity unto himself, and he has opinions, desires and interests that may not match yours! It is well known that there is a horse somewhere, sometime, that will humble every person. I would argue that the lessons learned from those horses might be the most meaningful of all.

Often, those lessons are not technical in nature. Rather, they teach us about our ability to persevere, to be patient, to set aside personal desires and ego, and so many other deep lessons that are essential in developing wholeness of being and strength of character. They develop our very human-ness and sense of place in the world.

And so, the next time you find yourself stuck on an exercise, struggling to achieve your next desire, and falling flat on your face (hopefully not literally) despite all your effort and dedication, try to step back and see the whole picture. What path are you on? Where have you been and where are you now? How does your current place in the (horse) world fit with where you want to be? What can you do to take just one tiny step closer to the end goal?

And remember, as E. Joseph Cossman put it so well, "The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep." Sleep on it, and go at it again the next day.

And enjoy the path!

"Walker, there is no path, you make the path as you walk." ~Antonio Machado.



Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Ready for something completely different? If you liked what you read here, you might be interested in the Horse Listening Practice Sessions. 

This is NOT a program where you watch other people's riding lessons. Start working with your horse from Day 1.

Click here to read more and to join one of the most complete programs on the Internet!

Horse Listening

Horse Listening The Book
Click to learn more.

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Available as an eBook or paperback.

If you enjoyed the above article, you might enjoy these too:

https://www.horselistening.com2011/11/15/ways-to-unleash-the-power-of-your-riding-seat/

https://www.horselistening.com2011/11/23/what-you-ought-to-know-about-instant-gratification-in-horse-riding/

https://www.horselistening.com2011/12/10/too-good-to-be-true-finding-your-horses-happy-place/

https://www.horselistening.com2022/01/24/9-signs-your-horse-is-about-to-or-did-spook/

https://www.horselistening.com2022/01/04/it-isnt-magic-top-5-reasons-why-practice-will-take-you-far-this-year/

 

It’s All About Listening….

 

Kayla at 30
Kayla at 30

Some time ago, the term "horse whisperer" came into being,  not necessarily by the horse enthusiasts themselves, but largely by the people outside of the industry. The term claimed its fame thanks to Robert Redford who starred in the movie with the same title, while he posed as a rancher who developed a spine-tingling connection to an otherwise unmanageable horse.

The romantic notion of being able to communicate with horses was propelled into the mainstream media and readily devoured by horse people and others far removed from equi-mania.

Long before the movie came out, and fairly early in my horse career, I had already started taking lessons in 'natural horsemanship'. Not only could my friends and I already do what Robert did in the twinkling twilight (with the mysterious, hovering silhouette of the horse in the background), but we knew there was so much more to communicating.

And it begged the question: if we weren't whispering, what were we in fact doing?

Along my path to becoming a more educated horse person, I learned a common-sense truth that follows me to this very day: the most effective way to whisper to a horse is in fact to LISTEN.

If you're not a horse-person, you'd be amazed at how much horses communicate - to each other and even to humans. If you know how to listen, and how to interpret their body language, you would be an adequate interpreter of these amazing creatures. It's not a secret other-wordly skill. Just be quiet enough and sensitive enough, learn the body language signs, and the world of horses will open up to you in a most organic manner.

So here we are at my first official entry of my blog entitled "Horse Listening". My intention for the blog is not to necessarily convince you that there is only one way to ride a horse. In fact, quite the contrary! In this world of electronic communication, I want to stick to a timeless, ancient source of education: I just want to ramble! In a sense, I want to put forth a proposal, if you will, about a topic that has my attention at the moment.

And then I just want to Listen.

I am hoping to open discussion about many and varied topics related to horses, riding, dressage and ultimately, life. Because if there is anything that the horses have taught me, it is that EVERYTHING about horses has a human parallel and every growth (and setback?) we gain through the horse world can be mirrored in our own lives. And the more we think we know about horses (and life), the more we discover that we in fact know so little. Each can be an ever-learning and developing process, and there's stuff to be learned from everyone....

Feel free to drop a line in the comment box and contribute your thoughts on the subject, if you agree, disagree, or have an experience you'd like to share. Stop in and say hi personally by clicking here. Whether you're into horses or not, this is a blog where you can contribute what you've learned by 'listening'. Looking forward to rambling along this road of life with you!

horse logos 1

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Horse Listening The Book
Click here to learn more.

Read more here:

A Cautionary Horse Tale: Once you decide to ride horses, you put into place a domino effect of consequences, which will occur whether you are conscious of them or not. It’s like a rule of nature.

Is It Me Or Is It the Horse? What is your opinion on this question?

When Do You Start Riding Your Horse? This question was being posed to me by a very respected and horse-wise mentor one day long ago, early in my riding development.

How To Be An Active Horseback Rider (a.k.a. Riding With Intention): What do you do when your ride isn’t going as planned? How do you respond when your horse scoots out from under you, spooks at the horse-killing object, or flat out ignores you?

Dressage As A Healing Tool: Even at its most basic level (or perhaps, especially at the most basic levels), dressage holds a value to horses of all disciplines.

Hello world!

Horses represent so many things: they are our pets, our recreational friends, our competitive partners, our working companions. What began as a childhood fantasy (literally! - I had read all the horse books I could by the time I was 12 years old, and there were still a few years to wait before I even saw a horse in real life) turned into a 'lifestyle' in my adulthood years. And through the years, the horses did in fact teach me all about 'real'  life: its ups and downs, and the nuances that serve to complete and fulfill desires, expectations, worldviews and so much more....