I just finished the lessons for “Join-up for Children”. The last lesson brought tears to my eyes. Mr. Roberts was saying (and I paraphrase). The time for an instructor to say “whip him” are over. The joy is that we can work with horses with exacting pain to obtain compliance. Mr. Roberts is trying to bring up a new generation on nonviolence training. The sadness I felt, stems for an observation I made just a few months back. An instructor was yelling as his student, a pre-teen to kick the horse to get him to move. I knew instantly this was wrong. But as I'm not much of a rider, I didn't know why.
Now being here at Equus Uni, I have found out why. It was because the horse was not a partner. All the horse knows is compliance. It seems to me this is very sad for the horse. I have actually had the the unpleasant experience of riding that horse as a previous time. He was not having fun is a very unhappy camper. Most disturbing, this young lad riding the horse, as well as the children are being taught to cause pain to get a horse to be compliant. Sadly, the children didn't seem to happy either. I'm sure the children will quick give up horse back riding thinking it's a chore rather than a privilege. Maybe one of the children will be iridescent enough to tell their parent, they real want to learn to ride. But can I switch instructors.
I have much to learn. I hope I can carry on Mr Roberts work even in a small way. I had an encouraging word said to me by a woman that works for a therapy group at the boarding ranch I'm now at. She said I was very gentle with horses. I replied, “gentle hands makes for a gentle horse.” Again, not that I know anything. Working with horse just come natural to me.
Call me naive. But I would rather have a calm, happy and stupid horse cause I don't know much. Then a jumpy, nasty and well ridden horse cause the trainer beat it into him. So I'm here to learn everything possible that Mr. Roberts has to teach. Maybe if the wife lets me and can be with out me for a bit, I'll do Mr. Roberts Certificate Program. Again, thank you Mr. Roberts.
Great to have you with us Greg and good observations. Sadly we can't change the behaviour of all instructors and riders but the more of us who join the Uni. and the more of us who follow and demonstrate Monty's methods the more people we touch and hence the more horses. Good luck and all the best with the incredible learning experience the Uni. offers.
Thanks Ms. Maggie.
You have the right mind to help horses in the future & pass on the message of non violent training! Your horses won't be stupid, they'll be gentle & you'll find your way training them as you learn from them!!!!
They are your teachers, not "Instructors" who teach people to hurt horses.
Enjoy the uni - you'll love it!!!
xx
Horses aren't stupid to start with. But the rider/trainer has to be smarter, and that does not mean violent. It just means he/she has to find ways to train the horse that they both can agree to. Its not hard. A gentle horse is one that has been trained with gentleness and is not afraid to do as asked. He does it because he WANTS to. That has been my way since long before I ever heard of Monty, and continues to be that way today. I want my horses to do as I ask because they want to, not because they have to. you are definitely on the right track, Greg. Keep it up.
Absolutely, i never liked the BHS doctrine of "make them do it!", i always wanted my old boy to be my friend first & foremost, i so wish i'd had Monty's training knowledge with him, he was such a sweetheart. I would never have got my current mare to want to work with me if i'd not been lucky enough to see Monty a couple of weeks after i got her as she's not the easiest mare in the world.
There's nothing like the joy of working WITH a horse who wants to work with you & isn't afraid to try to work out what it is you're asking it to do.
The horses that get bad reputations often are just too scare to try to the point they freeze on the spot due to violence towards them for getting it wrong!
Who are we to dish out hurt if they get it wrong, when it's us who are not explaining to the horse well enough what it is we want from them!
amen to that Beryl! iIf the horse doesn't get it, we've not explained it properly.
X
Thanks for the explanation of "stupid". It would have been better for me to have “better to have a horse that is safe, not mistreated and an inexperienced rider.”
To expand on that. I am not an inexperienced rider. As a kid visiting the farm. All the horses new there jobs. Mostly they were cutting horses that also did round up. As a kid I was more of a passenger. But as a teen I learned from the horse how to ride and learned from uncle Rex how to work with horses. So working with horses now is like second nature to me. But growing up in Los Angels (still live and work here), no one works with horse. Everything seems to “learning to ride”; mostly English style.
So I am very grateful for choosing Mr. Roberts University. I'm learning about both working with horses and riding them. I would say that is true horsemanship.
yes, "horsemastership" is far from just sitting on top riding them!
GregG your perspective on this lesson is inspiring. It causes the thought process to change gears and look at the bigger picture.
Again Thank You for sharing.