Natural Horsemanship: Take the time it takes!
I heard Pat Parelli make this remark a couple of years ago. I remember thinking it was an interesting statement and then filed it away in the cobwebs of my brain. Scooby, whose horse temperament is a Jue Yin, forced me to clean out the cobwebs and figure out what this really means.
He is 7 years old, and I have dreams of us winning barrel races together, while back in the real world he is just learning to flex around a barrel at a walk and trot. Most 7 yr old barrel horses have been running around the barrels for several years by this age, some at the pro level.
Scooby had health and training issues early in his career, and remember his horse temperament is a Jue Yin . He is smart, athletic, very opinionated about his training and has trust issues. To top it all off, I don’t start colts, so I had some fear issues to overcome.
I love this horse, so I set out to learn how to work with his horse temperament and issues, and do it naturally. Doing things the way I had always done them was not working with either of my horses, so I apprenticed myself to the natural approach.
I quit riding my horses and learned what ground work looks like. (Remember, I don’t start colts, so why do ground work). I started learning the basics with my older horse, and then worked up to Scooby. Both horses have benefited from the process.
I also had to overcome a lot of fear and prejudice. I mean, really, who starts over at 50? If Scooby hadn’t been so promising yet so difficult, I would still be doing it old school, frustrating my horses and myself in the process.
I have been on this natural horsemanship journey for 2 years, and getting through the initial learning phase took me awhile. Now that we are beyond that, he is making quick progress. He learned to flex and bend around my legs and pick up leads with ease in a couple of weeks. Because of his EPM he didn’t know he had a right lead for a long time.
We are still trotting around barrels, but loping is coming soon. I want him to walk, trot and lope around one comfortably and on a loose rein. No tie-downs allowed! Taking the time here will pay off in spades as we progress to running full tilt at a barrel race. Plus it’s easier to take the time to do it correctly now rather than have to fix it later.
The relationship between us is solid, and that is the greatest reward for me. I don’t just own Scooby now; I have a friend and partner.
There are a lot of great natural horse trainers out there; a few of them even have home study programs. Whichever way you choose to do it, do it for yourself and your horse. He will thank you.
“Ask the animals and they will teach you” Job 12:7
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