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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Welcome Horse People!

If you are addicted to clinicians this is the place to discuss and philosophize about horsemanship! All opinions are welcome here, but I would like to keep the posts upbeat and hopefully thoughtful.

First topic: Opinions are like.......

The thing about opinions is everyone has got one and I have never seen too many that are the same. I was developing opinions, and still do. I would rather not though. It seems to me, that once a person gets caught up having an opinion, it gets hard to change their mind. Even if all the facts seem to point out, that the opinion they have become so attached to, is wrong. This is a strange phenomenon that occurs with everyone I know. So I try not to (but I can’t always help it) develop opinions. If a person could have a theory instead, maybe they would be more apt to adjust it as necessary.

I think it is very interesting how when you come across someone who gives you a breakthrough in your learning, that suddenly you close your mind to all others, at least until you come to a point of frustration and their ideas or techniques don’t seem to be working. It is at that point when you stop and think that there might be someone else out there that could help you. This has occurred over and over in my quest. The first time I really experienced this first hand is when I ran across my first “natural horsemanship” trainer. I was in Las Vegas for the first time ever, to see the National Rodeo Finals, when we happened on a show at Excalibur, I sat down, not knowing what to expect. All I knew was it was a show called “Day of the Horse.” I was always ready to watch anything to do with horses.


It turned out to be this horse trainer. What a strange venue, I thought, for a horse training clinic/show. This trainer named Dennis Reis, talked for a while, then did a few neat three ring circus type acts, then at the end all the lights went low, and the song “All the Pretty Little Horses” started playing, and one by one all the riders gently laid their horses on their sides. By the time the last horse laid down, I was full out bawling. I had never seen anything like it! The rest was like a blur; I just was intent on finding more out about this guy and his training techniques. He sold his videos and special tools at the end of the show, so with the help of my date, I ended up with a “starter kit.” From that point on I was a living breathing commercial for this guy. I would not hear any information contradictory to what Dennis Reis was saying. When someone asked me a question about training my answer would always begin “Dennis does this technique..” I was committed to his methods after all they worked for him and his students. I wanted what they had accomplished with their horses. It didn’t take too long for me to come to a point where his methods couldn’t get me through a problem I was having. So.. I started to search for another mentor. I found Clinton Anderson, and I was a walking, breathing commercial for him too, then I found Ray Hunt, Buckranaman, Mark Rashid, etc.. I have come to the conclusion that no one person will have all the answers I am looking for.. I will continue to learn all I can from anyone I can, even if it is what NOT to do.
Posted by Horse Gal at 1:21 PM 1 comments
Labels: clinic, horse, horsemanship, opinion, training
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5 comments:

  1. I agree. When you think you know it all is when you stop your ability to progress. Many clinicians are great at explaining how to do things but when it comes to competing in reining, cutting, and other events they end up to be just above average. Al Dunning is a great instructor as well as a great competitor. I just cant picture Clinton Anderson winning a world cutting competition any time soon.

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  2. I love Al Dunning as well.. I can see merits in all the clinicians, and can learn from them all.. I really like Mark Rashid and his philosophy and foundation.. but their is so much to learn in each discipline, You need to find mentors for each, and many, if you want to learn all you can..

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  3. Does anyone know someone with a trainer "addiction?" I would love to hear stories!

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  4. I have found the same to be true for me. Not with horses, because I don't have any experience there, but with searching for answers and feeling like I've got them, then realizing that there was a lot of truth in what I learned, but not all of it was applicable to me, so I move on, learn more truth, move on again... It's never ending, but I also learn lots and lots so in a way it's fun and rewarding. :)

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  5. I always relate Horsemanship to life!

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