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July 2009 Archive

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THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2009

We Support the Natural Horsemanship Movement!

Dr. Robert Miller coined the term 'the revolution in horsemanship' referring to the movement toward more positive horsemanship that is sweeping the nation.

And it is time for a revolution. I dream of a time when everyone who interacts with horses does it with the horses' best interests in mind; when they make a true effort to have a conversation with them as a leader, not a dictator.

What can we do to help the horses? If you have an idea about how to support - and spread - this revolution, please get in touch with me! I am a hopelessly chronic thinker and love brainstorming horsey ideas.

POSTED BY CELENA AT 10:47 PM      0 COMMENTS     POST A COMMENT
CATEGORIES: DR. ROBERT M. MILLER, NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP MOVEMENT, NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP PROFESSIONALS

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2009

My Inner Predator

Are you ever out with your horse, having so much fun, enjoying a bit of success playing around with something new and – BAM! (as Emril would say) – all of a sudden you flip back to your old pre-NH ways. Your horse was understanding what you were asking and so suddenly you want more. You expect more. Your predatory nature comes out – you become task-focused instead of principle-focused.

And everything falls apart.

It happened to me the other day. I was out playing with our big warmblood, Lex, and I was starting to ask him to lie down for the first time. He was incredible, bowing way down right away. Within minutes, he lay down voluntarily.

Success really can be far more destructive than failure. Instead of rewarding him by leaving it at that, I decided to try again to prove to myself that it hadn't just been a fluke. Instead of taking it slow like I had the first time, my expectations for him rose; I wasn't accepting each little try. By the time I realized that I had switched into predator mode, poor Lex was confused and becoming anxious.

I'm glad that I was able to recognize what was going on and slow it all down again so that I could help Lex feel successful. Again, I was grateful that horses are so forgiving - and big, beautiful Lex takes that equine trait to the extreme. Although I would have preferred that it didn’t happen, it was a good reminder to be constantly aware of what’s going on inside myself - to notice and rein myself in when I start to feel that my Inner Predator is on the loose, even if that means walking away from my horse for a bit.

I've shared my Inner Predator story - and I'd love to hear yours!

POSTED BY CELENA AT 1:03 PM      0 COMMENTS     POST A COMMENT
CATEGORIES: EMOTIONAL FITNESS, INNER PREDATOR

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009

Learning Horse

I love playing around with new horses and watching their expression when they realize that I understand at least some of what they are 'saying'. I can never get tired of that surprised expression of shock that a human is not acting how humans normally act. "You look like a person," they say to me. "Why don’t you act like one? Are you part horse? Why do you look so funny?"

Okay, maybe I am anthropomorphizing the horses a bit! But I'm sure that any of you who have learned to read and respond to horses' body language in a non-predatory way know what I mean. Their attitudes change. They are suddenly more interested; they pay closer attention to you. They respond as though intrigued by this human who doesn’t seem as human as the people who handled them before.

I love that look, that interest. It makes me forget about the time and just play, experimenting with things, figuring out what works for that individual horse and establishing a relationship based on mutual understanding. It often makes me late getting home to relieve the babysitter!

Sometimes I wonder how I was so blind to horses' body language, back before I really got involved with natural horsemanship. Oh sure, I knew to watch out when their ears were laid back and could tell when they were tense, but I have since learned that is only the tip of the iceberg. Besides, it isn’t just the ability to read horses that is important – it’s also the ability to respond appropriately.

I'm not a horseman yet – sometimes my timing is all wrong and I know that I don't always respond the right way. It makes me feel bad that my horses have to put up with my clumsiness and lack of wisdom. But it also makes me appreciate how lucky we are that horses are so forgiving, that they allow us the time to learn and make mistakes even though they don't know how hard we are trying to be better partners.

I love horses. And because of that, I love natural horsemanship.

POSTED BY CELENA AT 7:22 PM      0 COMMENTS     POST A COMMENT
CATEGORIES: ASPIRING HORSEMAN, BODY LANGUAGE

SUNDAY, JULY 5, 2009

Hotel California (aka The Horse World)

Hi, my name is Celena and I have a horse problem. If I went to therapy, I might get diagnosed with a horse obsession – so I don’t go to therapy. But I can admit it; I’m a horseperson.

In our home, you’ll find as many photographs of my horses as of my family – maybe even more. The wedding photo that is prominently displayed in our dining room is not of me and my wonderfully supportive husband, but of me in my wedding dress astride my big black horse. At my maternity photo shoot – well, okay, there were a few photos of the proud parents to be. But most of the shots are of me, my belly full of bouncing baby boy, and my lovely filly, Glory.

As I said, I have a horse problem.

Our herd keeps growing – and with it, the amount of tack and equipment. Tack and feed stores are danger zones for my wallet. The horse books don’t fit on our bookcase anymore. We have to keep the VCR because some of my favorite natural horsemanship programs are on video tapes. And my son was introduced to his pony before he was born.

I tried to leave the horse world a few times – when I just wasn’t having fun anymore because I realized that my horses weren’t having fun, either. But I kept getting drawn back in, unable to stay away for long, and eventually I found the fun again in natural horsemanship. I finally came to the conclusion that entering the horse world is like the Eagles’ Hotel California – “you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave”!

Sound familiar? I thought so. We are horsepeople – we can’t help it, we’re addicted. We are a breed of our own, an eclectic group of people bound together by a common love of horses that none of us really understands. We don’t really know why we love horses, all we know is that we do and always will. Hopefully you, too, are blessed with indulgent families – goodness only knows it takes a lot of understanding to be saddled with a horseperson!

And no, hunny, we didn’t name our son after a horse. The fact that the name of one of my favorite jumpers of all time was Big Ben is just a coincidence. I just like the name Ben. Really.

POSTED BY CELENA AT 6:02 PM      0 COMMENTS     POST A COMMENT
CATEGORIES: HORSEPEOPLE - A BREED OF OUR OWN, MY FAMILY

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1, 2009

Welcome to Wild Hearts!

"I found my destiny, not in far off places but within myself."
- Sonora, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken

Watching Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken should be mandatory for horsepeople. Strongly encouraged, anyway. If you are a horse person and you haven’t seen this movie, you have homework! It is a marvelous tale based on a true story that has, of course, been very Disney-ized, but I have seen it dozens of times and it always inspires me. It reminds me to create life from dreams, to do what I feel is right even if it isn’t always easy, and to really, truly love.

My name is Celena. I am the often-delighted, sometimes-exasperated mother of very nearly one-year-old little boy named Ben. I found my soul mate in a tall, dark and handsome man named Curtis, and am his usually-loving, occasionally-infuriated (and, let’s be fair, occasionally-infuriating) wife.

And I am an aspiring horseman.

The discovery and study of natural horsemanship has enriched my life – that is why I am starting this blog. It has not only brought the joy back into horses for me, but it has helped me with my human relationships, too. I believe that natural horsemanship, when applied correctly, is considerate of the horse’s nature and is life changing (and life changing in a good way!) for the people and the horses involved.

I am excited to reflect on natural horsemanship. I have read books and watched DVDs by many different natural horse trainers. These remarkable horsemen – Ray Hunt, Tom Dorrance, Buck Brannaman, Pat Parelli, John Lyons, Clinton Anderson, Sally Swift and Monty Roberts, to name a few – show such empathy and compassion for their horses. They have such feeling and timing – I love how they dance with their horses. I have been as intrigued by the many similarities in their methods as by the differences.

Everyone, regardless of experience or philosophy, is welcome on Wild Hearts. I am looking forward to hearing from the different natural horsemanship facets so we can really delve into the similarities and differences. It will be fascinating to hear about different methods to deal with the same problem.

There’s a lot of controversy around natural horsemanship. Please comment on my posts and on other people’s comments, whether you agree or disagree. I want to hear from you – your insights, your questions, your feedback, and yes, your arguments. All that I ask is that, even if we disagree, that we maintain a supportive and respectful community.

Just a heads-up – my family will work its way into this blog, too. Trying to balance horses and family can be quite the juggling act and makes for some pretty hilarious stories – although some are only funny a few weeks later! Although I will certainly focus on horses, life for me is horses and family; they are inextricably entwined and I have never been able to talk about one without touching on the other.

I’m looking forward to getting to know you!

Wishing you sunny days and sound ponies,
Celena

PS Are you wondering why I call myself an aspiring horseman? I’ll address that subject in another post!

POSTED BY CELENA AT 3:54 PM      0 COMMENTS     POST A COMMENT
CATEGORIES: MY FAMILY, NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP PHILOSOPHIES, WILD HEARTS CAN'T BE BROKEN