Class Time

I loved the classroom portion of this class. It's where we learned the theory of how to properly play with our horses, how horses think, how they react, and the different "horsenalities"- or, the general different types of horses there are, and how they think, act and react differently. By the way, I found this class so applicable to my relationships with humans, because just like in people, if you know why they act a certain way, you know how to be better friends, and how to deal with their crazy decisions!

One of the very first things we talked about in class, was relating this subject to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and answering questions such as, "why do anything with horses", "do horses have a spirit, and if so, will that change how we treat them?" and "How do we exercise righteous dominion over them?" I realize that there are many people out there who do not share the same religious beliefs as me, or even have any religious views, but accepting the fact that horses are magnificent creations, and that they truly do feel basic emotions- have fears, attitudes, confidence problems- will greatly affect the way you treat them and interact with them. In our class, we were taught to respect the horse, and to have a forgiving relationship with them. Horses are like children; they forgive easily, but they have a great memory. If your horse associates you with pain, discomfort and no fun, your horse will resist everything you do, and will be stubborn, and "good for nothing".

In class we learned the 7 games as offered by Pat Parrelli, ideas of how to play these games, when they are used in different settings, and why it's important to be able to have your horse go in a straight line, or a circle.

Perhaps the thing it was most useful for, was that this was the time when we could share our difficulties and problems with the rest of the class, and we were able to learn from one another, and teach one another. I found that when I was going through a phase where everything seemed to be going wrong, a good day in the classroom helped me to calm down my nerves and to gain a better perspective of what I was really doing here, and how to become a better leader. It was also nice to know that others in the class were also struggling- none of us were perfect, and there was a support system. So, if you have a horse that you are trying to build a better relationship with, and you are hitting some brick walls, and you feel like you are failing at all you do, remember that everyone goes through a phase, or many phases like that. One thing that was continually repeated was that it is better to do something rather than doing nothing. Translating the things we learned in the class to actually playing with the horses was much more difficult than I thought it would be.

It is impossible for me to explain all that went on, but this class was truly amazing, both the theory and the practical. I feel really blessed that I was able to be a part of this class!