Very interesting read

Cortrasna

Grumpy old nag
Aug 5, 2009
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Stumbled across this today and hope the link works - would be interesting to read your thoughts on this. Those that know me will probably guess where I stand on the viewpoint written in the short article - but will add mine when we see what you might think about it, Always a subject that raises 'lively' discussion on here but hopefully it will remain relatively polite! :p If not don't expect me to get the huff and remove it! :rolleyes: Let me know if link doesn't work and I will copy and paste from the editorial comment.

http://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/24/opinion/editorial-notebook-death-of-a-legendary-horseman.html
 
There is more than one way to teach and train the horse, none of it is magic.
The horse is the teacher and having spent four years doing alternative methods with the other chap, the cob arrived and pretty much told me to stuff it :D
We have a little compromise going, some might call it a bond, but it's probably safer to say it's still on her terms.
 
""You need to practice only three things, patience, observation and humility,"""
"""and some of it, thanks to the individuality of horses and humans, cannot be taught at all, only learned"""
"""If you learned it, you would know it was nothing to boast about."""


All the above really :)

So so true. If there's one thing I would say with to anyone beginning their horsey journey it's watch them as much as you can and be patient. :)
 
There is more than one way to teach and train the horse, none of it is magic.
The horse is the teacher and having spent four years doing alternative methods with the other chap, the cob arrived and pretty much told me to stuff it :D
We have a little compromise going, some might call it a bond, but it's probably safer to say it's still on her terms.

Hehehe yes on her terms, this I totally understand, I have one also who feels things work better that way:)
 
Very sorry to read an obituary of Dorrance. Unlike Cortrasna who learned it all in her youth, my posts to NR over the years testify that the Dorrances did teach horsemanship and it was possible to learn from them.
The most important lesson for me was that (contrary to what RS and BHS people told me here) it was possible for old people to ride, and to ride well. Riding horses did not depend on physical strength nor even physical fitness. The communication was in your mind. And one could follow their example and adapt one's mounting, saddles, tack and rides to allow for increasing infirmity.
When I resumed riding and sharing after a serious operation I was very decrepid and had no idea that a couple of years later my health and strength would be restored.
The Dorrances had their own horses - were in charge of their own animals and riding. I am not and I post this with sadness too because like Cortrasna and apart from a bareback lesson, I havent been riding lately.
 
I think he died some years back Skib this was just an obituary that I happened to come across when browsing.


Unlike Cortrasna who learned it all in her youth

Hardly learned it all Skib! :eek: - that is the point I think one will never in a million years know it all.......our knowledge and understanding of horses is a constantly evolving process every moment we spend with them, and woe betide those who do believe they have learned it all.:)
 
You are right Cortrasna - They both died some time ago when I had barely begun to ride. I am glad I didnt know. As I had this vision of very old men on horses.
 
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He died in 1999 I think.
Because we are not a horse, I don't see how we can ever claim to know another species. It's all interpretation of what we think we know?

A clinic I went to had ten of us sit in a line and watch five minutes of someone handling their horse. We had to write down briefly what we thought the person was doing.
We all thought we saw something different and I don't think one person wrote exactly the same thing. The point was we assume things without knowing the full facts even watching someone in front of you, your understanding, knowledge and viewpoint influences what you think you see.
So yes watching horses is a great idea, if you think you know what you just saw!

The cob giving another horse a double barrel I couldn't possibly begin to know what that was about. But knowing her I do know its such a rare sight that she was well piddled off! I have also been on the end of her hooves and my interpretation at that moment was this. 1.ouch. 2. I got too close. 3. I screwed up.
 
completely agree NF - and I love your interpretation of a kick from the cob lol! But I also tend to more often than not just accept whatever happened it was probably 90 per cent my bad judgement or timing in that moment and 10 per cent her just being a horse. When she spooked a couple of years back while I was grooming her and came down on my foot (similar injury to your recent one) I didn't for one moment blame her - blamed myself for not accurately judging her mood on that day as she was already showing signs of her more jittery and nervous side when I brought her in and it was very noisy and windy in the yard. I did not allow for that or alter in any way my usual grooming routine, or my handling of her - I should have done so and also prepared myself to move rapidly if she became over reactive. I did neither so my fault for mis reading her that day, or perhaps reading her but not responding to her as I should have done. She was just being a horse.:)
 
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