Most equine enthusiasts have heard
the phrases “black and white, no shades of grey” or “there is a full spectrum
of colors in horsemanship” or some variation of these comments on the aspect of
communication as it relates to the art of horsemanship in its many forms. One
may think that these two phrases are in direct opposition to one another upon
hearing them for the first (or multiples of) time. Yet, when we dig deeper into
our studies of our equine partners, it becomes clear that these two phrases are
actually in harmony with one another and that, when combined properly, actually
create a level of communication that leads to clarity, confidence and control
for the human and the horse.
In a recent clinic hosted by Lucky
Star Horsemanship entitled “Establishing Communication and Control” the
participants experienced the combination of these two concepts first hand, and
reaped the rewards of clearer communication, enhanced control, enriched
confidence and a stronger connection through effective leadership with their own
horses. The workshop (part one of a three part series) focused on the human
being clear in their intent, focus and application of certain communication concepts
(black and white, no shades of grey) as they learned to read the needs of their
horse, and the needs of other participants horses, while asking for a specific
action (full spectrum of colors in horsemanship). Each horse in the workshop
required that the concept (example: the application of pressure to encourage
movement) be applied differently in order to achieve the same results. Some of
the horses simply needed the human to be clear in their intent, in the right
place/position and a lifting of the hand in order to engage. Other horses
needed a bit more pressure, like the slow spin of the lead rope, as well as
proper place/position and clarity of intent in order to engage. While others
required all of these things plus a verbal “cluck” to find the encouragement to
engage. Each horse required of its human partner clear communication and
empathy to its needs in order to achieve the goal. When the human failed the
horse by giving it unclear signals or not allowing enough time to pass in order
for the horse to process the request, thing went poorly. However, when the
human strove to be clear, patient and empathetic in the process of
communication the horse found confidence in the leadership being offered and
found the “right answer”, gaining self-confidence and emotional stability in
the process. The transformative effect of the combination of clarity and
empathy was truly an inspiration.
It is often said that the art of
horsemanship is simple but not easy. Those students of the horse who embrace
and practice consistently the concepts of clarity, patience, pressure/ release
and reward often find that their communication is “black and white” while their
application of techniques that request an action are “full color spectrum” in
nature based on the needs of the horse. This is, in many cases, where the human
fails the horse. They take a “my way or the highway” attitude, which leads to
the horse feeling insecure and confused. By failing to recognize that the
horse, like the human, needs times to process the request and find the right
answer, which is confirmed through a clear release and reward, the human
compounds issues and breaks the horse’s trust in the leadership down to the
point of becoming ineffective. Human’s struggle with being black and white
within themselves. They struggle with finding the clarity of intent, position,
focus and energy required to be an effective and fair leader. Humans fail to
consider the full spectrum of the horse’s communication needs and emotional
support required for it to confer leadership upon the human. It takes the
setting aside of the ego and opening the sensitivity for the needs of another
breathing, feeling and thinking creature on a level that so many find
challenging to discover on their own, in order to be able to reach the full
potential of the partnership. It takes being clear, fair, kind, honest and
sensitive on the part of the human in order to be a positive influence in the
development of the horse. We must combine the black and white with the full
spectrum in equal measure to secure solid communication and long lasting
leadership with our horses.
To learn more about how to do just
that, consider participating in a workshop or clinic that focuses on these
aspects of horsemanship in your area. If you are in Northern California, you
are invited to participate in the next Establishing Communication and Control
workshop, hosted by Lucky Star Horsemanship happening in October of 2018. Just
visit their Facebook Event Page athttps://www.facebook.com/pg/Lucky-Star-Horsemanship-1857426887814701/events/?ref=page_internal
for more information. May your communication be clear, your heart filled with
empathy and your adventures with your horse be excellent!
Thanks for reading!
Some pictures from our recent Communication & Control Workshops
