--- In [email protected], Mic Rushen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > Or this. There's a big discussion going on at the German icelist, > about the same subject. This is a preview of an article in one of the > German horse magazines, taken at the WC. It's not just here than > people are getting upset. >
That is really a relief to hear. I've noticed some German sites (maybe just one? can't remember) where people are importing Rocky Mountain Horses and doing Natural Horsemanship (good horsemanship) with them, using sidepulls, gentle techniques. I don't see why that wouldn't spread over to Icelandics. I believe there is hope. I know there are people who have done things one way and then seen the light and started going down a softer, gentler path. It's just hard to see horses fighting their riders, I think a lot of us wish it could just stop right now! It's really hard when people are right in the middle of these things, it takes something to jolt us out of the situation, to take a step back, get some space, and really look at the situation, break old habits. It's uncomfortable to learn new ways of doing things, I still get uncomfortable sometimes and go back and forth with this. That's why I think it's important to work on ourselves, find our inner center when working with the horses, a quiet place, contemplate what we are doing. I am surrounded by people who are set in their way, set in their beliefs about how to handle horses, things that make me uncomfortable. I try to get quiet and just focus on myself and the horse I am working with, try not to let the chatter of what other people think work it's way in there. It's probably more difficult for people who are already set in their ways. It's amazing, there is a guy on another list who just got a mule, his first, and he has gone straight to clicker training and wanting to go see Liz Graves, this is pretty cool. I think it's great that this information is out there, I think it does make a difference. Kim
