Videotaping has been such a great help in both showing the students what they are doing (right and wrong), and as benchmarks for me to keep perspective as to how things are really going.

It’s also very valuable to be aware of our own motivation as an instructor. This is not to say that there is a correct or an incorrect motivation to have, but awareness of why we are doing what we’re doing brings clarity and congruency to what we have to present to our clients. The horses respond to our presence as we are congruent within ourselves. This is the “secret” of the guru-horse-whisperer. Whether it’s right or wrong, the “guru” is so congruent in what they are communicating, and horses interpret that as leadership. The “guru” is listening to their own awareness, communicating congruently, and listening/sensing to the horse’s response.

People sometimes argue that they can’t teach that way, they aren’t gifted in that way, you can’t teach feel, that sort of thing, but every teacher already IS teaching that way. They’re either aware of it or they aren’t. Again, not a good thing or a bad thing, just an opportunity to explore greater self-awareness in our communication as an instructor/facilitator of horse and rider.

And it’s so much better if you can relax and have fun now and then!:-)

Someone once told me that he had a hard time learning to inline skate but then someone handed him a hockey stick and pointed him toward the goal, and he had so much fun playing roller hockey in the parking lot with his friends that he forgot he couldn’t skate.

I think it’s the same for riders. When you’re concentrating on all your body parts and the motions, you tend to get tight in your body, get a look of intense concentration on your face, and look down ad your horse. When you have a job to do — a game to play — your focus goes to that thing, like getting the fabric or catching the ball or whatever — so you do the lifting, lightening, and engaging a lot more naturally. Especially if you’re smiling. At least, that works for me.

Hi Roger,
I’m afraid the whole underlying root of both issues has to do with a change in values in general. My mantra, as silly as it seems, comes from the movie “Independence Day” during which the President is making a speech about the potential annihilation of the human race and what he plans to do about it.
“We will not go quietly into the night!
We will not vanish without a fight!
We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive!” Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!

Actually, this is just one of my mantras!

The very best to you,
Barbara