Since this is the first article I have written for the Northern Horse Source I thought that I’d make this an introduction to where I come from a teaching, training and riding perspective. It’s my hope that by providing this insight up front you can thereby carry its theories forward into future writings that will delve into a trainings aspects in the form of actual exercises for you and your horse. I decided to provide this glimpse through using my own horses throughout as examples; as my horses are my greatest teachers and if you reading this article you probably have your very own teacher sitting in a stall, paddock or field as you read this awaiting to teach you your next lesson should you be willing to engage with an open heart and an open mind. So as you read this, please take some of the flavor into your daily interactions with your horse.

Throughout history, dark horses have played roles from Devil’s Mount to a hero and all roles in between. One cannot imagine the profound influence that interaction with an animal can have upon you. The lessons that may be learned, the miles of the soul that can be traveled with a horse by your side. I have always said to people both horsy and the non-horse alike; that monks practice the art of meditation their whole lives to achieve the moments of clarity that I achieve each time I am in the presence of a horse. There are moments where I catch a glimpse of something beyond what I perceive myself to be, beyond the physical to the metaphysical realm. Where we realize that all our bodies are just a vessel to hold onto the energy that is our spirit.

My first dark horse was Carbon. I had lost my friend Teddy to an accident; his angelic spirit left its wounded physical body and took flight with the other angel horses. I was left with a feeling of disconnection. I had lost my grandmother that year as well so life for me at 15 wasn’t all that great. Carbon at first sight wasn’t what I had in mind; he was smaller, and plainer than the video had shown. I watched with little excitement as someone put him through his paces and lunged him over a jump or two. When I first settled into the saddle I remember feeling completely out of control. Like no part of what I was meshed with this horse whatsoever – I realize now that I hadn’t “meshed” with myself, hence that disconnected feeling. When Carbon moved, the world moved with him, and it left me feeling very behind, in more ways than one. At the time, I wasn’t a very experienced rider, perhaps only 5 years in the saddle with professional help. I had no idea what I was feeling, and now sadly I look back and realize that I spent the first 5 years of ownership of this horse attempting to gain control – an important lesson I learned is therein lies part of the beauty of riding, you have to submit some of what you consider control or it becomes forced and misunderstood from the horses standpoint, which is not beautiful.

There are many things that Carbon taught me, but he was the first to show me what was really within me as a rider and a human being. Carbon like any other horse has an uncanny knack at pointing out what anxiety you might be carrying with you. I have observed professionals ride this horse and ride with all the skill that they have been taught to ride with and get themselves nowhere, yet I have seen a 9 year old flow through movements upon Carbon that would bring tears to the eyes of passer bys. Indeed horses see inside you, if you give them the opportunity they will bring forth a wealth of emotion, thoughts, and even heal wounds that you didn’t realize you were carrying. Through Carbon I am attempting to learn the art of riding through feel, it’s a long sought after term isn’t it? From my standpoint finding feel through a horse is more than just the timing of my aids of leg, seat, hand pressure etc., it’s the timing of the intent or thought before the aid even comes into the picture. Which brings up the question. Can we ride our horses through thought? There are moments while riding that the world becomes calm; you’ve obtained that meditative connection where your physical connects to your higher self and it’s at these times, that the connection with the horse is utterly perfect. You may recognize the feeling, and just as you realize it, it’s gone. I strive in each session with my horses and my clients to be able to convey that connection and feel.

Every one of us has seen our lesser-preferred qualities manifest themselves in our day-to-day life, from snapping at the kids to yelling at the dog. Most of the human population is forced for various reasons to re-direct our honest feelings far too often. Imagine for a moment your horse greeting you at the gate with their ears perked up, a happy nicker, then what seems like out of the blue your horse would turn tail and kick you right in the stomach. How different is that baggage that we lug to the barn and take out on our horses from my example? I am not by any means advising you to have a therapy session before you go saddle up your horse, because for the majority of us horse people that IS our therapy is the time in the saddle. I’m simply asking you to recognize in your horse and its behavior some similarities with your own behavior about situations. Perhaps expect the same of yourself as you do of your horse. I am as guilty as the next to going out to work with my horses knowing that I have time constraints etc and have to get the job done and get home. It seems if your mind is not in the present task neither is the horses. So I challenge you as you put your horse through exercises whether its jumping a four foot jumper course or crossing a mud-puddle to put yourself in the present moment with the present task, expect the same of yourself as you do of your horse. See what happens when a reflective state of mind is kept.