To Become Better People

We practice natural horsemanship to become better people. Natural horsemanship teaches us to be patient and empathetic. It teaches us to be leaders. It gives us courage and confidence.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to see the seed planted in three of my new little riders and to watch it bloom in two others.

KC,Carly,and Emily cantered for the first time yesterday and did so successfully and repeatedly. I do not believe that any of them have mounted up more than ten times before we went into the woods yesterday. They showed the courage that is necessary to develop true confidence. Not only did they canter,but they cantered beautifully. Emily on Wanchese, my beautiful wild Shackleford stallion, KC on Croatoan, my wise wild Corolla stallion, and Carly on Porter, my resilient young Corolla who was captured after being hit by a car--what a team.

Sarah Lin has been riding a long time but she is younger than any of my three new riders. She began riding so young that she has always required the complete help of others to get her horse ready to ride. She milked her young age for all it was worth, realizing that there were older riders there that would do anything that she did not want to do if she only said the magic words, "I can't."

Yesterday she showed the value of "I can." She mounted by herself, got out her tack and nearly completed saddling by herself and she rode 18 miles flawlessly on a formerly wild Corolla stallion. It was her best day of riding yet.

My three newest riders rode at 2:00 yesterday. Although she had already ridden 18 miles, Rylee rode with us in the afternoon. She was not riding because she needed more time in the saddle, she stayed out there because she thought that she could be helpful to the new riders. She was more than helpful. She assisted with the tacking of the horses. Her confidence is contagious. She had no brag, no bluster, she simply demonstrated to the new riders that someone their size could learn to be a hard rider. She lead by example.

I think that it is great for kids to be involved in a range of extra curricular activities, but what we do is different than other sports or social activities. Yesterday, in the space of just one day, Rylee, Sarah Lin, KC, Carly, and Emily became better people.