Dancing leadership
Nov 20th, 2008 by Carolyn Resnick Method
I am not against formulas and lessons in the training of horses and people. I am only against them when they are the only way you go about communicating and the training of horses.
Following formulas blindly, without question and without adjustment, can cause a person to lose their natural leadership ability, which then causes the horse to focus on having to pay attention to the rules rather than focusing on the connection.
I think that it is best for a person to hang around horses and horse trainers to develop a rhythm and a way of being around horses when things are right. I have watched horses being trained by other people for years as one of the many ways I gained my knowledge of horse training. It’s a lot of fun and I can’t think of a faster way to learn how to train a horse than by watching horses in nature and trainers that horses like as a way to develop your skill in the training of horses.
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Dear Carolyn,
I have been a little behind lately in reading the wonderful information on these blogs as my husband has been very ill but when i read this one Dancing Leadership and read the several times Carolyn put in their regarding a ‘child like manner’ especially the 6th paragraph where it talks about how it is “important to recall and analyze the child mind” For me this reminds me of what Jesus said “unless you become like a little child you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” This is so true for me and what Carolyn is saying is here is so right on. Thank you again Carolyn.
hi thea, nice to meet you, where about in the world are you?
your comment is very interesting to read
Br Stina
What a gentle breeze in a worldwind of dominance. So often I’ve heard that if you can’t get what you want when you want you are spoiling your horse. I used to believe that if I couldn’t force them – I couldn’t trust them. Now I understand that if I force them they can’t trust me and indeed I found myself untrustworthy and didn’t like myself much in that place. I also used to delve hard and deep into the places in me and with my horses that I didn’t like then wonder why everything was so difficult and dark. Fortunately I bumped into a daughter and some horses who don’t let me get away with that anymore and get what I want and now I no longer want a behaviour or a skill or a particular response. I want the experience of enjoying our relationship and what we do, instead of being a goal, is a topic of conversation. This has been years in the making and has involved change in all levels of my being. From meditation, to conscious eating, to chanting to transform base emotions, to letting go of riding for the most part for 2 years now. Consulting animal communicators, developing my own practice of Equine Facilitated Mental Health and Slowing Down have all been part of it too. And still…I forget sometimes. Thanks for reminding me to back out of areas of resistance and search for the movements and moments of connection.
Hi Carolyn,
Your words are like lotion on dry skin. You just feel better after reading them. Your Method not only allows for creativity, it encourages it. I applaud that. No two horses react in exactly the same way, so how can any one formula possibly work for every horse? It’s not always easy to create that magical bond, but with time, enthusiasm and patience, the connection can be made. Thank you for making that path easier to follow.
This makes a whole lot of sense. I tend to just stick around and watch trainers to see what they do that goes right and what they do that goes wrong. And the good things I apply to my horse. I always try to think if I feel guilty or something, would a horse in the wild do this to my horse?
Thank you Carolyn for expressing what I could only feel but not articulate. Its a relief to meet someone that has been sucessful with horses using a philosophy that my gut has been saying was the way for me.