The True Horseman?

So what is it exactly that makes one a true horseman? Is it the opening of the heart mind and soul to the horse? Is it the resolve to take as much time as it takes to learn something? Is it working a horse without the use of force or pain? Is it having the patience to wait it out when your horse doesn’t “get it”?

I didn’t have the opportunity to own horses when I was younger; but spent my lifetime dreaming of the day that I would have a horse of my very own. I spent countless hours on hack line ponies and horses; spent more countless hours on the back of wonderful ranch horses in beautiful majestic mountains, Navajo tribal parks and the Arizona desert; I pretty much rode every horse I could get my hands on from an early age. Does this make me less of a horseman because I haven’t trained a horse from birth? Or because I didn’t own countless horses looking for that “perfect” mount?

I think a true horseman is someone who is willing to open their heart, mind and soul to the betterment of the horse and the rest of the questions I outlined above. Plus I think a true horseman understands that it is a never ending journey. Destinations don’t matter, the journey does – it’s a quest to be a student of the horse. It's about taking what you learn and paying it forward as Liz Graves loves to say. She is a true horsewoman; she has all the qualities and is so giving of her talents. I can only hope to have 1/2 her horse knowledge before I die.

I knew when I bought G six years ago that he would be a challenge ~ not a horse most people would recommend to a new horse owner, but I felt having good basic riding skills and what I considered good horse sense, we would in the end be a good fit for one another. He hasn’t proven me wrong yet. The patience I didn’t have, G brought to me. There was no other choice. Undoing the damage that was done before me was more of a task than I thought. I’m sure someone of Liz Graves or Mark Rashid’s talents could have turned him around faster, and this is where the experience of a true horseman comes in. Its not that I didn’t try as hard as they would have; or showed G any less patience then he needed. It just took me longer to find the answers to my questions. The fact that we’re into our sixth year and just finally “getting it” together I know is well beyond many people’s capacity for patience. But I now know that I have it! I knew the minute I met G six years ago that he was a special horse with a big heart and I was willing to take however much time was needed to find our communication and become a team. Let the journey continue....questions I got!