Philosophy

 

Horsemanship Philosophy

 

My belief in the teaching of horses is “The path of least resistance cultivates the most growth and reward.”  I take my natural horsemanship background and heavy influence in the traditional Vaquero style of horsemanship combined with my personal approach and fundamentals of strengthening your core muscles to offer you a quiet and rewarding experience that will leave horse and rider confident, safe and balanced.

 

To me, nothing is easier for a horse to understand than his own idea. If we approach each situation with the horse’s best interest in mind, we raise our percentage for success each and every time. I call this the “Hunting and Gathering” process, offering the horse a feel, and in doing so it allows the horse to “hunt” for a least resistant path. Finding the release he then “gathers” the information and stores it, giving him his own reservoir of knowledge that he can dip into each time he needs it. Knowing there will be a release each and every time resistance is applied will create a soft and willing horse.

 

When it comes to discipline within horsemanship philosophy, nothing is more suited than that of the Vaquero style. This approach demands patience, perfection and above all respect for the horse’s ability to learn. It never forces, but allows the horse the time he needs to learn each new phase with confidence and understanding. This style will take you through the modern snaffle bit, all phases of the Hackamore, into the two-rein and finally into the coveted Spade bit bridle.

 

It’s important to me for this to be successful, a person must be balanced in their core muscles, giving them the pillar of strength and balance to perform maneuvers without getting in their horses way or balancing their body on the horse’s mouth.  This will in turn create a rider who’s horsemanship not only blossoms, but a horse who soon learns to have confidence in their partner’s abilities – trust leads to safety, safety leads to confidence and knowledge.

TM