GOT TRAINING PROBLEMS? ASK THE HORSE FIXER! © 2002 by JP Giacomini
Copyright ©2002, PUBLISHED 2002
In 1970, I was studying dressage at the world famous riding school of Master Nuno Oliveira on the outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal. During the morning class, as he was growing impatient with the eight or ten of us frustratingly struggling with the difficulties of self-control on a horse, the Master stopped us in our tracks. Adopting the dramatic stance that he used when delving away from Haute Ecole into philosophical digression, he asked us: “Why do you ride horses?“ One by one, embarrassed by having to publicly reveal
our unresolved intimate secrets, we muffled some unsatisfactory answers. Eventually, the Master said slowly, “I ride horses because I love them.”
All of us remained silent, oscillating between embarrassment and cynicism. Well, the great Master could not just have that reason alone to ride horses, did I think in the certainty of my twenty years of age. Well, he did! His riding demonstrated what he said, he loved his horses and his horses loved him back. Riding was a holy endeavor for Master Oliveira. His passion for his personal horses was only equaled by his fascination for the training process which he had studied, supremely practiced and improved significantly for the common benefit of horses and humans. Never mind that his passionate life may have sometimes reflected a very complex personality. When he was on a horse (which was most of his waking hours), he was disciplined and selfless, yet completely involved in the artistic emotions that made his soul resonate. I believe he was happy in a profound way.
The more time went on, the more his conversation and his writings reflected a deep concern for the morality of horsemanship. His life, like the ones of many great artists, seemed a battlefield for the errances of the ego versus a divinely inspired love for his partners the horses and his chosen media, equestrian art. I think love definitely won. The memory of this emotional moment has grown evermore present to my mind. After forty two years of diligent practice and reflection on horse riding, I have somewhat mastered the easier part of training horses, which is to get most of them to do more or less what I want, when I want. It leaves me (and most of us) dwelling over those nagging questions:
~Is horse riding, in general, a constructive endeavor for the character of the millions of people who practice it assiduously, or is it rather destructive due to egos running wild and the absurdity of completely inefficient methods?
~What kind of relationship can we have with horses that is safe, rewarding emotionally and still achievement oriented?
~How to settle the indispensable aspects of the horse-human partnership (hierarchy and discipline) with their naturally occurring extremes (danger to the rider through lack of
discipline and danger to the horse through excess of it) ?
~How to integrate a valid form of horse-human relationship into: pleasure riding (technically poor), dressage (very demanding), horse showing (ego driven), dangerous equestrian sports (adrenaline driven), etc.?
~Is it really a good idea to have our children spend their time and our money on horse-related endeavors and, if yes, should it be chasing ribbons in a rail class or learning to jump bareback on ponies? Are we making better people out of them in the process? If not what needs to change?
~Can we reconcile the very different views about horses of the men who wrote most classical riding books and the women who read them? We all have gotten so wrapped up in our dealing with horses that we tend to forget what riding really meant to us in the first place. When we go to horse shows, this “ love of horses” we are all professing to possess is not always demonstrated. When we stay at home, we lose our goals and horses become bored pasture ornaments. So, in regard of all of those unavoidable facts, it may be important to some of us to start a serious debate (at least with ourselves) on this subject.
There are literally millions of horse riders in the world addicted to their very favorite pastime (I am using the word “ addicted” deliberately) and we still need a better way to reconcile the human privileges afforded to riders with their obligations to horses. Horse riding has been my way of life, the center of my pains, crisis, temporary joys and, finally, the stock of most of my lasting happiness.
I have learned more about life on my way to the barn than in the many books I have studied. The only way I know to repay my debt to horses is to keep studying their physical and emotional nature and share my training experience with others. Most people look at riding obliquely, not straight in the eye. My first advice to riders, both novice and advanced alike, who live in a horse world ruled by status-quo and explained by clichés and platitudes, is to take nothing for granted.
Take the time to learn the correct principles of horsemanship (more later on that subject). Verify them through serious observation of yourselves and your horses; (equestrian) knowledge is the sum of observation plus (a lot of) effort. So watch every horse and rider you can see, good or bad, and try to learn something from everyone of them (even if it is your worse enemy!). They all know something you don't know!!
Never believe that your horse knows how to do something s/he hasn't been taught yet (divide training in smaller steps). Love your horses: Love is not just an emotion - it is work and (self)-discipline. Learning to ride better is the best way to love your horse. To enjoy the feedback of the training/learning process is much more rewarding than limiting one’s satisfaction to the accomplishment of the goal.
Chasing ribbons will make you poor, gaining experience and knowledge will enrich your life.
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