The Compassionate Way I Relate with Horses
The way that I believe in working with horses, as stated in my first post, is much different from the 'norm' in the horse world. The way that I work with, and train horses is much like Carolyn Resnick (http://www.carolynresnickblog.com),
Mosie Trewhitt (https://www.facebook.com/MosieTrewhittLibertyHorsemanship), and many more! In this type of horsemanship, the horse is approached with love and understanding, treated with equality, and given freedom. There is no force, pressure, pain, or fear used. This method of working with horses is fairly unknown in comparison to traditional or Natural Horsemanship, but the trend is starting to grow. I feel that this may be because many people in my generation are developing more compassion and thinking of horses less as possessions and investments, and more as companions and friends.
For many equestrians, the love of horses began with a dream. For me, and many others, it began with the dream of running with wild horses. When I was only three years old, all that I wanted to do was be with horses. But I didn't just want to ride them, I wanted to love them with every piece of my soul. I wanted to become one with horses, a part of their herd, as nothing but a loving friend. What right do we have to come up to a horse that has no idea who or what we are, and boss them around and control them? The only thing this does is create distrust, resentment, and fear. I don't see why anyone would want to have an animal fear or resent them!
Liberty Horsemanship, or Compassionate Horsefriendship (my own type of horsemanship), focuses on making sure that the horse is healthy, happy, and safe. We focus on throwing the ego away and putting the horse first, instead of being selfish and choosing an activity that only benefits us.
Being at liberty with a horse is not about taking off the ropes and the tack. It is so much more than the absence of ropes. Being at liberty with a horse is freeing the heart, the soul, the mind, AND the body from restrictions. It is letting the horses souls soar in complete freedom. Because, in reality, freedom for a horse is not a luxury. It is a right, it is a given. Every horse should have that right! When we are with our friends, we want to be able to express who we truly are. We want to be accepted for being ourselves. So, in order to create a loving bond with a horse, you must let them express themselves. You must let them tell you what they want and don't want, when they're feeling frustrated or scared, and when they're feeling happy and playful.
Comparison of me riding Lilo with and without tack.
In both pictures, he looks relaxed, happy, and like he knows he is free!
Listening is a huge part of these methods of horsemanship. When the horse tells us something, we always listen to them. For example, if my horse, Lilo, were to show me that he did not want to be ridden by moving away from me when I try to mount up, I will accept that and we will do something that he wants to do. Because of this, he is more willing to do things that I want to do, and he listens to me very well.
Liberty Horsemanship and Compassionate Horsefriendship is creating a connection with these precious beings. The connection is the base and the starting place. It is where the love, understanding, and trust begin to flourish. Every connection must start with a want to be together out of free will. Once you build a connection with the horse, the magic will blossom, bringing the souls of human and horse together to ultimately grow as one!
Thank you for reading!
