Considering the Horse: #1 Horse Sense

Mark Rashid is an amazingly talented writer.  Not that a cowboy can't be smart and philosphical.....but DANG this guy is gooood.  He is beyond intuitive.  His style of writing just sucks you in like sitting with a good friend over a cup of coffee.  The more I read, the more blessed I feel that he comes here close to me twice a year and I get a chance to meet what may well be the wisest person I ever meet in my life.  Some unusual things have been happening to me lately, all strangely good in the midst of one of the largest injustices ever to happen to me.  I am not known for having good luck.  For this reason, I never gamble, as the cards always seem stacked against me.  No pity party, just my reality.  The only part that makes it seem harsh, is the fact that one of my best friends is quite possibly the luckiest person to ever roam the planet.  My luck streak, seems to be just enough to keep me afloat.  No more, sometimes less.  So, this causes me to be somewhat superstitious about things, as I never know what kharma (assumedly from a past life) will throw at me next, and she is not routinley very nice to me. For this reason, I am NOT going to talk about these strange occurances, I will knock on some wood, in hopes I don't jinx myself.

So this first chapter is simply an introduction to the fact that we should REALLY consider the horses point of view when around them.  I of course cannot tell a story like he can, and while I do tend to see things very differently from the majority of folks, Mark sees things in the most ironic and metaphoric ways and tells these stories in such a way, that your imagination takes you right there to that place and time that he is speaking of, and causes you to have one epiphany after another without even realizing you are in the midst of changing your life for ever.  Problem is....trying to read two of books at the same time.  He talks of his mentor, and of the first time he ever saw a horse 'broke' and how it was the first time he was made to realize this undeniable fact, that we must always consider the horses point of view.  To be more patient, more quiet, and to never be on a time schedule as that is when you most assuredly run out of time and cause trouble for you and your horse.  Instantly I go back to my trailering issues with Cha'cote, and how they began, the day I filmed my OLL3 with him, and the next time with the trailer I was rushing to try to get him to a play day.  Cha'cote spent 6 yrs locked in a stall, if ever there was a horse that has no time table, it is him.  He waited his life away, and he is probably the single best horse at taking his time to get something done.  He has all the time in the world, and I best get me some more for my self, if ever I stand a chance to change his mind up about the trailer.

This along with watching a Pete Ramey dvd today, I am reminded, more likely taught, that is just when you think you may know it all, or have it all figured out, that life throws you a curve ball to put your insignifant self back into your rightfull place in the universe.  And that is.....a full time student of life and the horse!

Savvy On
Michelle

Considering the horse: Mark Rashid 2nd edition with updates.