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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

More Than Balls & Pedestals

When I started out doing natural horsemanship, I thought that ‘natural horsemanship’ was a discipline – like jumping or reining. I devoted myself completely to it, thinking that if I was doing natural horsemanship, I was limited to playing with balls, pedestals and the like.

Hey, I’m not knocking balls and pedestals – they’re lots of fun to play with and help to increase horses’ confidence. I love doing that kind of thing! But I was missing the point.

What I failed to understand was that a philosophy can be applied to any situation – and that natural horsemanship can be used to train high-level dressage horses and cutting horses alike. Natural horsemanship isn’t the end – it’s the beginning. It’s where you and your horse are going together.

Getting into natural horsemanship doesn’t mean that you can’t ride or compete in a discipline that you love. It gives you a challenge – learn, experiment, and put a purpose to what you were already doing. You’ll be amazed at how those natural horsemanship concepts suddenly make a lot more sense to both of you.

What discipline are you riding or competing in using natural horsemanship techniques?

POSTED BY CELENA AT 9:16 PM      0 COMMENTS     POST A COMMENT
CATEGORIES: APPLYING NH, DISCIPLINES, NATURAL HORSEMANSHIP PHILOSOPHIES