Saturday, December 30, 2017

Clinic Woes...

Navar and I attended a Natural Horsemanship clinic last October and I have been ruminating over the experience ever since.

Over the years I have attended several clinics and feel quite proficient with my groundwork. I am now looking for more opportunities to transfer the natural horsemanship principles to create a better connection in the saddle.

There were a couple of reasons I wanted to attend this clinic; it was advertised as an advanced clinic with an unquestionably skilled horseman; and two of my favourite people were also participating. While I recognize I am nowhere close to being the horse person this fellow is, we have had some similar influences in our past. We both rode at the first Craig Cameron Extreme Cowboy Clinic at the Calgary Stampede, we both attended a Ray Hunt clinic, and he competed at the Road to the Horse colt starting in the U.S. the year after we had gone as spectators. Yet try as I might to connect with this fellow, it became apparent that his primary focus throughout the weekend was himself.

His program offers 8 levels of achievement which can be evaluated on-line. I overheard one of his loyal followers state that this was their fourth clinic and they were resigned to staying at Level 1 forever; or another person asking which would come first – passing Level 1 or Heaven. The journey toward exceptional horsemanship undoubtedly takes commitment to practice but I found these statements very discouraging for folks who are starting their journey later in life.

I did my best to practice the techniques being taught at this clinic which were somewhat different than how I do things. However, even with years of practice and success handling hundreds of horses, I would have been hard pressed to pass his Level 1.

It was discouraging to hear his response to folks who were asking questions; "that he had previously answered their question “many” times". Clearly, they had either not heard or understood his response and were seeking more clarification. Nobody should be treated in a condescending manner when they are eager to learn. I truly believe it is incumbent on the instructor to reiterate and demonstrate until the answer becomes clear.

There was much time spent standing around while the clinician “fixed” a confused or worried horse. However, it was especially frustrating when it was the clinician’s daughter’s horse. He insisted that everyone watch what he was doing rather than continue practicing with their own horses. Unfortunately some of what I “had” to watch was rather unpleasant and I remember thinking – this man is not touching my horse. In fact when I heard him asking for an introverted horse and an extroverted horse for a trailer loading demo, I excused myself to the biffy to ensure Navar was not chosen.

I even found it difficult to watch him ride and handle his own horse as the horse seemed overly reactive and nervous. It made me think of a recent article I read in my Linda Tellington Jones newsletter about being an advocate for your horse when others are handling them – whether it is a clinician, boarding facility staff, farrier, or veterinarian.

I have no qualms about increasing pressure when a horse is not being respectful but whacking a confused or worried horse across the head with a stick is not the kind of pressure I would encourage unless the situation became life threatening to the handler. There were folks in this clinic that were new to horses and/or Natural Horsemanship methods and if they were to go home and apply that much pressure without knowing why or when to release, they would undoubtedly cause more harm than good. Folks need to learn methods they can take home and work on to improve their confidence, not erode it further. It is for this reason I have spent much time studying a variety of philosophies and techniques. This allows me to offer my students solutions that will help a wide range of folks and horses progress safely and with joy.

Interestingly – most of the Ah! Ha! moments came during the group talks given first thing in the morning rather than during the time spent with my horse. At least there were a few things I will be able to share with others and I thoroughly enjoyed spending 4 days with Navar away from home. However, for the money spent, I would have liked to come away with more enthusiasm and inspiration and not have to listen to hubby say "I told you so".

Tovie and Navar


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