| Meaningful events often help understanding to take | | | | logging road. It offered a safe place to move our |
| place. For one young horsemanship student, the insight | | | | horses out. So, I asked my young friend if she would |
| she gained on board a runaway allowed her to put | | | | like to lope. |
| two key concepts into real-life perspective: | | | | Always eager for action on a horse, Darcy capably |
| | | | transitioned Fred up through the trot and into an easy |
| 1. the importance of her being there before something | | | | lope. But because she then failed to provide direction |
| happens, and | | | | (regarding speed and exact path of travel), Fred felt |
| 2. the significance of her being the one directing her | | | | lost. Next, his need for self-preservation kicked in. |
| horse's every step. | | | | Overcome by fear, he moved on up into a |
| Here's how the learning experience unfolded. | | | | panic-driven gallop. Darcy was on a runaway! |
| A Young Rider | | | | Predictably, the long, uphill climb caused Fred's need to |
| Darcy, a talented 10-year-old horsemanship student I | | | | run to soon wane. His rider was then able to bring him |
| was working with, stood a short distance away | | | | to a stop. |
| intently grooming Fred, a retired, twenty-something | | | | As I rode up, Fred stood trembling. My student's |
| Arabian gelding I occasionally press into service. | | | | wide-eyed expression indicated that the event had |
| Every now and then, the horse would take a small, | | | | certainly gotten her attention. So we visited about her |
| unasked-for step forward. You could see it coming. | | | | experience as we walked our horses along the |
| While his pint-size handler focused on brushing his gray | | | | narrow path--me and my horse in front, Darcy and |
| coat in preparation for saddling, Fred's gaze would shift | | | | Fred following along behind. |
| ahead. He would then inch his way forward a step. | | | | Directing Each Step |
| I alerted Darcy to the situation. | | | | We went over how the horse feels supported and |
| While Still a Thought | | | | more comfortable when he's being directed, each step |
| Although she became diligent about stepping Fred | | | | of the ride. And how providing this support comes |
| back into place, I knew she did so more to quiet me | | | | from her being the one taking him for a ride, not the |
| than because of any real grasp of my explanations: | | | | other way around. |
| about the need to direct the horse all the time or the | | | | To emphasize my point I abruptly stopped my horse |
| importance of being there before to block a step, while | | | | and backed him rapidly, crashing directly into the |
| it was still a thought, rather than after a step had | | | | unsuspecting pair behind me. "Pay attention and direct |
| already been taken. | | | | your horse," I said. "Don't simply point your horse's nose |
| I say this because once Darcy was again occupied | | | | at my horse's tail and let him pull your horse along on |
| with her grooming task, she would miss those "before" | | | | the ride." |
| opportunities. Consequently, Fred's forward steps | | | | I repeated my quick stop and backing maneuver again. |
| continued. | | | | "Direct your horse," I restated. "Otherwise, you're telling |
| With our horses saddled, we mounted up and headed | | | | poor Fred that he's the one piloting the plane. Since |
| out on the state forestland. As we directed our | | | | he's a timid horse, that concept scares him to death. |
| mounts between trees, around brush, and over logs, I | | | | That's why he panicked and ran away with you." |
| talked with Darcy again regarding the importance of | | | | But nothing changed. So I kept up the quick stops and |
| her being there before something happened and the | | | | rapid backing until I was no longer successful at |
| significance of her directing the horse's every step. In | | | | crashing my horse into them. Out of necessity, Darcy |
| this obstacle-rich setting, I hoped these concepts might | | | | had instinctively tapped into her talent and began |
| have meaning and thus be understood. | | | | directing her horse; she kept Fred out of my range. |
| Following a climb up a long, brush-covered hill, we | | | | If he got too close, she would firm up, stop him, back |
| rested our horses in an open area. Once Fred had | | | | him up, and make him wait on her before moving off, in |
| caught his breath, Darcy moved him off at a walk and | | | | the direction and speed of her choosing--not his. As a |
| began carefully directing him in and around the | | | | result of Darcy's taking charge, Fred became |
| scattered logs and stumps. She was sure attempting | | | | noticeably more relaxed and accepting about being |
| to get a handle on the directing concept. However, | | | | guided. His nose rooting disappeared, replaced by him |
| directing all the time wasn't happening. | | | | flexing nicely at the poll and carrying a soft feel instead. |
| Whenever Darcy asked Fred to stop, he would | | | | A Perceptive Observation |
| consistently push through her hands and take several | | | | With recent consequences having given real-life |
| more steps before trickling to a halt. | | | | meaning to the concepts of directing the horse and |
| Getting Down to the Feet | | | | being there before, Darcy had risen to the challenge |
| "Darcy, Fred is running away with you at the walk!" I | | | | and was now doing a first-rate job of piloting Fred. |
| warned. "You have to firm up, get down to his feet, | | | | They were an attractive example of cooperation and |
| and get him stopped--instantly. And once stopped, put | | | | unity. And I told them so. |
| slack in the reins so he can stand comfortably. Instead, | | | | Near the end of our ride I asked Darcy if my earlier |
| you've been hanging on him, which causes him to root | | | | warning about Fred's running away with her at the |
| his nose and ignore your hands whenever you do ask | | | | walk now made sense. "After all," I said, "not getting a |
| him to stop." | | | | change in the feet is not getting a change in the feet, |
| Of course my warning held little meaning for this rider | | | | whether it occurs at the walk or the gallop. Either way, |
| of limited experience. But then, almost as if by design, | | | | the horse is running away with you." |
| an event began to unfold that would put the concepts | | | | Darcy thought for a moment. She then added this |
| I'd been talking about into real-life perspective for | | | | perceptive observation: "Looking back on how he kept |
| Darcy. | | | | moving forward when I was grooming him," she said |
| A Meaningful Event | | | | earnestly, "Fred was actually running away with me at |
| Shortly after heading out again, we came to a long, | | | | the stand still! |
| uphill-stretch along an abandoned, grass-covered | | | | |