September 2007

Why Clinics?©

    Wouldn't it be nice if we could read a book and learn everything there is to know about horses and horsemanship? Well, speaking for myself, I enjoy the experience of learning something new every time I am with a horse. The learning never stops. The information packet is never completed. Each horse new to me, is a whole new story. 

    Last year , when I went outside my breed and fell in love with, and bought, a Peruvian Paso mare, I was never more aware of this phenomenon. Each horse, as each human, is unique. Since there are no two alike, there is no method that will accommodate all of them.

    Parents develop their parenting as they face the events of the day to day living with their children. So it is with our horses. Our knowledge is accumulative. There are no short cuts; there aren't even any sure ways to achieve desired results.

    I know there are those "horse trainer icons" out there who promise recipe-type solutions for "every horse." For the most part, they are gifted trainers who could train any horse with ease. But there is truly no way they can pass on their instincts and talent simply for the price of admission. We each have to earn that.

    So, do I recommend clinics? Absolutely! There are multiple reasons to make use of the information out there on the clinic circuit. You can always learn something; even if you only decide the information doesn't resonate with you and your horse. Pack it away in you mental bag of tricks for that day when you might meet the perfect equine candidate that will respond to the technique.

    The very process of bringing your horse to a clinic is the first plus. Being with your horse in a learning atmosphere gives you a chance to bond in a special way. for one or two days, your total focus is your horse, and you are the one safe place for your horse.

    There are as many different clinics out there as there are clinicians. Once the search for information begins, it becomes obvious that the process of gathering knowledge about horses and horsemanship is limitless!

    Granted that knowing how to ask for, and then maintain gait, is a priority for those new to our gaited horses. But it is no less important to understand all we can about our own horse as a horse. Remember horses are prey animals. They are 'hard-wired' to realize they could be something's dinner. Humans, as hunters, look at life and survival in a completely different way. It can be a lifetime process to develop communication between these different prospectives. Ah, but what a joyful process it can be. 

    Our soft-gaited horses are so personable and willing to participate with their humans that they have attracted many folks new to horses in general. Answering questions about gaiting is complicated when I'm talking to inexperienced horsemen. Before gaiting comes development of one's horsemanship instincts.

    All of these areas are addressed in clinics. Every one attended will give us one piece of the puzzle. The second major plus with this process is allowing us to watch others with their horses. Sometimes it's easier to get the whole perspective when you aren't personally involved. For that reason, you might consider attending without your horse every once in a while.

    I personally attend several clinics every year. I find them particularly helpful when I'm working with a new horse or youngster. I dragged my young stallion to a number of clinics to primarily expose him to as many situations as possible. There is no way to recreate the energies and dynamics of a clinic when you are working in the quiet safety of your own back yard - or that of a familiar stable.

    Liz Graves ( http://lizgraves.com ) in one of my very favorite clinicians. I have had the pleasure of attending a number of her clinics. It's always fun to "show her what my horse and I have been working on." But I don't limit myself to attending only clinics where I know I will be in full agreement  with the teacher. Sometimes my most important lessons come from someone on an entirely different page. Developing our skills should become the very fabric of our horse keeping life. Enjoy the process!!