great books is no better off than the man who cannot read at all. That is an approximate quote from J. Frank Dobie. Our book, "And a Little Child Shall Lead Them: Learning From Wild Horses and Small Children", is, at least approximately, a great book.
The book can be ordered in bulk from the publisher or found on www.barnesandnoble.com and many other direct sales sites. However, when the book is purchased directly from us more of the proceeds of the sale can go into our program.
Yesterday a the end of a long, hot day two small buses pulled up to the tack shed. The buses were filed with adult participants in a Chamber of Commerce Leadership School. It is only when showing groups like this around that the importance of our program hits home.
As they buses emptied Lydia, age 16, was working on a great natural hoof trim for Wind In His Hair, our pinto Chincoteague. They then moved over to see Edward Teach and get an opportunity to look at his now healed neck and watch as we demonstrated some of the gentling techniques that have him nearly ready to ride in the woods. They met Tradewind and learned about founder and insulin resistance, and, most importantly, of his recovery and sound hooves. They were surprised when Ashley told them that she completed a fifty mile in one day ride at age nine. They saw the three foals that were born of the Corolla offsite breeding program this spring. They met Christian and One Bull, his horse that he trained under my direction but completely with his own hand. They got to see the type of family operation that we are becoming as Rebecca and her two little boys were out for the afternoon. They met younger riders like Jemma and Andrew who are en route to becoming solid horse handlers and trainers. Katie was there all the way from California. Anytime her family is in the area she can be found in our horse lot.
They met Spicer, my San Clemente Island goat along with War Admiral and Sea Biscuit, my Baylis line Spanish Colonial goats.
They also got to see something tougher than a billy goat. Imagine what it would feel like to be a fourteen year old girl without a tremendous amount of riding experience who was about to mount a young Virginia City stock mustang that had only been ridden a hand full of times. Now imagine two small bus loads of people watching, eyes all on you, wondering if they were about to see a rodeo. That is what Jessica did yesterday, and yes, I do believe that this girl will end up being tougher than a billy goat.
The guests saw all of this in the space of 45 minutes. The key point that I hope they carried away with them is this: This is not brain surgery. Anyone horse person that cares about horses and kids can develop a program based on teaching natural horsemanship, natural hoof care, and natural horse care.
Even if one knows nothing about horses, it becomes obvious that what we are doing is a more meaningful horse experience than traditional riding lessons in which kids ride an ancient, bored horse in a sandy arena while a fully educated and certified professional instructor stands in the center of the arena and snaps at the rider to "sit up straight."
(And this is not just for kids. This is a picture of Rebecca on one of Red Feather's earliest successful training sessions.)
No comments:
Post a Comment