Horsemanship Philosophy
Working with horses in a more natural way
means many things in different ways to different
people. To some I meet on my travels it means using the physical techniques from another horseman’s system or method,using certain equipment and
tack marketed to be for natural horsemanship, but to me one of the real tools of working in a new and more naturally rewarding way is not the use of an expensive
piece of equipment or method but learning to connect the energy and spirit of the human with the energy and spirit of the horse.
To quote Deepak Chopra,
“Human beings are made of body, mind and spirit. Of these spirit is primary, for it connects us to the source of everything, the eternal field of consciousness.”
We were born a spiritual being in a human body but often have just forgotten the connection with the subtle energies of our soul or spirit. As human beings we are
all sensitive to these very subtle energies, but living a modern busy life has disconnected us from them. We have forgotten how to notice, interpret and use
them. We all have them there inside us, maybe lying a little dormant but still they’re waiting to be awoken. Sometimes we have to throw a little fuel on the fire to get it burning again. Sometimes, because of life and its traumas, we have shut down our spiritual side to help protect it from harm but it is still there waiting to help us again. This spirit and energy is present within all living beings and is a vital animating force or universal life force. Each and every one of us has it and so do our horses. As humans we have often forgotten how to use the spirit or soul in our relationships, concentrating on
using just the body and the mind. If we start to use the missing part,the spirit, in our horsemanship we can work with the horse towards that true connection that goes much, much deeper than the purely physical connection that we can make through a hand on a lead rope or on our reins.
Steve Doherty