To begin with let me just say that it is with a great sigh of relief that I finally feel I have found a descriptive label that best conveys what it is that I do specifically with regards to horses. I am a “Equine Mentor”. I have officially shed the label “trainer”, and adopted this new, and engaging description. I say “engaging” because that is exactly what I am attempted to do…engage with horses.

For more than 40 years I have worked with, on, and around horses. Whether it be competition, pleasure riding, and so called “training” them. However, in recent years I began a course of action that has lead me down a path I longed for in my early days, but often found to be elusive. The path of least resistance.

From a very young age I believed that horse were gentle spirited beings, capable of great insight, and the ability to understand humans. I found that connection and bonds with horses were fairly easy for me. I understood them and they understood me. Unfortunately, over time I would become involved with, and influenced by ignorant and fear based individuals. This would be my first understanding of what it meant to be a “trainer”.

In recent years, the word “horse trainer” , and “horse training” has taken on an unfortunate negative connotation. Is it well deserved? Who’s to say for sure, but what I will say is that there have been some very poor public examples of what a “horse trainer” is not!

For me training involved a detailed regimen of strict guidelines, routines, and patterns. This is not to understate the importance of those things, but it left out the importance of the horses need and level of understanding. Simply teaching them to do task A with no understanding of the task proved to be counterproductive to my goals. So how do I change the old trainer mindset? How do I communicate with them?

My transformation came about when I realized that I needed to find a “new” approach to partnering with my horses. Things were not going to plan at all. Frustration began to set in, and I felt lost. Let me just say that these horses were not the horses I thought they were. What I thought was much appreciated obedience was actually disgruntled compliance. These horses were no way “willing” partners, but rather unhappy, discontent zombies. So willing to do a task they began to exhibit a lack of spacial awareness, and a reduced horse sense of dangers. I had no idea this was possible. I felt ignorant, and ashamed that my experience failed me in recognizing it. However, experience has shown me that you don’t know something until challenged by it.

I began my new journey of exploration by studying the techniques of others who had seen remarkable results with different styles of teaching, a course of learning about neuroscience, and extended courses on different homeopathic therapies. As I progresses along this new pathway I found myself invigorated by the positive changes I was noticing in my horses. The ease of transformation, and the new level of connection not experienced before was overwhelming. In this moment of reconciliation and renewal I realized I had finally come full circle to my childhood dream. I’m a horse mentor!

I’m not doing it ‘for” them, I’m walking alongside them mentoring them through it instead. In turn, building a relationship through partnership. Now instead of seeing me as a slave driver or taskmaster, they see me as a co-experiencer. They seem to appreciate my changes, and my willingness to be flexible. They are extremely intelligent beings capable of so much more than we give them credit.

For some of you this may sound a bit “tree huggery”, “hippie nonsense”,as some have suggested, but I challenge you to give it a try. Horses are very attuned to our emotions, and a simple change in mindset can make a world of difference. If you have ever been present to see my gelding lick the tears from my face when I’m grieving you would understand.

For me/us, this simple adjustment has made our connection, and communication more simplified. We are now communicating, rather than arguing…yes I said arguing. If you are honest with yourself you will realize that you have been arguing with your so called “difficult” horse. Two opposing forces colliding never ends well. Both lose in the end.

The days of “sinking spur” are long past, and the barbarous ways of working horses need to stay in the past. We are intelligent beings, capable of so much more. Horses are a wonderful gift to enjoy, so it’s it about time we see them with such grace and dignity.

This was a brief introduction to a new pathway I am forging, but hopefully it has given others a moment of pause to reconsider a new mindset. Stay tuned for more insights in the future, and hopefully transitional videos.

As always, all my love in Christ Jesus!

Enjoy the ride…it’s happens in the blink of an eye!

Annie 🙂