A few weekends ago Mikhail had his first lengthy canter (that was on purpose, there was an involuntary lengthy canter a few months ago but that does not count). Saturday he was in his first parade. He is young, 6 or 7, I think, athletic and loves fun.
He also represents a very important part of the answer to the problem of "unwanted horses." Of course, we do not have a surplus of horses in America. We have an extreme shortage of riders. The only hope for the horses is to attract more riders. That means reaching out to novices and teaching them to ride. The best way to do that is for them to learn much more than to simply be relatively safe passengers in the saddle. The more that they understand about natural horsemanship the more likely it is that horse ownership will be part of their future.
One of the major reasons that horses go to slaughter houses is because boys are afraid to ride them. Even worse, they are part of a society that encourages and supports that fear. After all, why should a boy risk injury, pain, or even a saddle sore, when he can quietly entertain himself with a violent video game?
I do not have a lot of helpful suggestions in this regard. I have lost my ability to inspire boys. I hate to admit the fact, but denying it would not change the situation. Little girls are easy to inspire. Even with all the advances of the past fifty years we still live in a world in which little girls are constantly taught that they are fragile, incompetent, and not capable of demonstrating real courage. From the moment of our first conversation I make it clear to little girls that if they break, they will mend and that if a thing is worth doing they can do it. I give them tasks that I doubt that their parents think that they are capable of and they do it. As they get older I delegate a great deal of authority to those that earn it. Again, often to the surprise of their parents. (Lydia's mother looked a bit surprised when I told her that the reason that we chose a particular BLM mare was because Lydia had looked them over quite closely and felt that she was a good choice.)
Little girls respond to encouragement, trust, and high expectations. Too many little boys do not. Given the opportunity little girls exceed the incredibly low expectations that society has for them. Were I trapped in a burning building Emily Wilda would find enough strength in her seventy some pound body to drag me out while the firemen were still putting on their gear.
Mikhail will be different but not because of anything that I instill in him. In a few years I will be able to tell him to get in a round pen with a bad horse and gentle the meanness out of her. He will be another Jacob. He will be able to ride as hard as Christian. I will be able to depend on him and so will his horse.
In short, he will be just as good as the girls.
3 comments:
Steve you sure "hit the nail in the head", and took the words out of my mouth! I share your oppinion on the topic, and this what my Program is focusing on here in California. We need Centers such as yours and mine all over the country then the Horses and Mustangs will be saved to be cherished and respected for future generations, because the children will recall the "gift" horses gave to them. Great work my friend!
Unique programs..teaching kids to tame wild horses..who'd a thunk that was a good Idea? It sure was not an Insurance adjuster...and it sure wasn't a behaviorial chemist...uh...sorry...pill pusher. It was probably a cowboy...a pioneer...farmer..folks who are vested to the land...more and more folks are interested in getting closer to sane agriculture..a course for them would be cool...but...I digress (sometimes twice in a sentence). Steve, I wish I had an answer to that question...how to Inspire little boys? Thirty years ago it was easy..."Boy! Go play in the road and eat some dirt!" Well..it worked on me, anyhow...it used to be GI Joe and get home before dark...Do not put that frog in your sister's drawers..etc etc. I really do not know how to crack that code...it would be fun to have a bunch of little cowboy wannabe's running around.
I doubt there is a single root cause, although, I could postulate...Hoverparents, excess bureaucracy in public education, solving life's problem with a little white pill, (did not work for Cash, will not work for you folks) the list is endless...and if I go on I will offend. Ultimately I think society has become such a sick and dangerous place, we are terrified to take chances...much less allow or even ("gasp! Rhett, No!) encourge our young to risk losing some hide..even in places it is appropriate to. Hint..It is right under your nose, boys, come on...saddle up, get on, and we will go up the trail. Don't worry too much about all these girls making you look like sissys...Terry and Lydia prove that I ride like a wuss every week...It doesn't hurt...I promise..
I made the comment above yesterday, before the young people from the boy's home showed up...I think we managed to inspire a couple. Young Ashton left saying that he needed to get him a lariat to keep learning to rope with. The handshake and hug I got before he left was telling.
Little boys used to get out and follow pop around the farm, or imitate him as best they could, I seem to recall a series of toy tractors, lusting to get in the woods and hunt, fish, move cattle around, and drive the riding lawn mower...Sorta hard to do that when dad works long hours to make ends meet, or worse, both parents work long hours to make ends meet, or really bad..are totally absent. materialism ties in here somewhere, I wanted Chuck Taylors and cowboy boots...it never occurred to me to desire 150 dollar sneakers..please..150 bucks..for..sneakers..sounds alot like 400 grand for a horse barn and 25,000 dollars for a horse trailer and two grand in farrier bills per annum.
I know what the answer is, I don't know how to get there, though. The answer is to get little boys out where they can learn by doing and experimenting, imitating sound role models..preferably ones who do not make millions of dollars playing what should be a child's game. (If you think I take a dim view of this country's pro sports worship, you have much to go on. I idolized some pro athletes..but rough stock cowboys, and calf ropers generally make decent role models.) I must say, it is difficult to find such a rare critter these days, nobody has time to, 1. Seek out role models, and 2. Be role models.
Could it be that pursuit of the almighty dollar is the root cause? Yes, I jumped over some of the logic there, but here it is, Average Joe spends an inordinate amount of time trying to make a living..the 40 hour work week is all good, but when average wages drop and drop and drop..sixty and eighty hour work weeks get to become more normal, or, in conjunction with long work hours, a person makes good money, but is so tired, stressed and racked out that there is no energy left to advance the art of child rearing…our priorities are more than just a little out of whack.
Out here among the herd, we seem to have a handle on inspiring little girls...Horse+Girl, mix in some instructions (not too much) and support (but not hovering, slavish attention, please) Stand back and wait for the poof...try not to get your eyebrows singed.
Apparently somewhere down deep, that GI Joe playing, Dirt Eating, Frawg Ketchin’ Dawg Sidekick, little boy is still in there, but the real question for this society is how are you gonna get that potentially grubby little feller out amongst the Frawgs, Dawgs, Fresh Air, and (here’s the wind up, and the pitch) Horses? Dollars are not the answer..Working hard to please somebody else, and put dollars in their pocket, is not the answer, We The People, continuing to allow our society to be centered around grubbing for money instead of investing time and knowledge in our people is not the sustainable way to go.
I am just a grumpy old retired Navy Chief, and a tadpole in the world of gentling horses, and a wannabe hoof trimmer, not a behaviorial $cientist…but that folks is the answer.
I can’t get your boys out in the pasture…But I can teach the little prehensile bucakroos to throw a rope..then all that is needed is something betting that they can’t rope it…or betting that they can’t ride it, and somebody to tell ‘em it is ok to try, even if they might get hurt trying.
Oh..I forgot the last step..when they do fall…tell ‘em to get up, and get back on that pony and ride. -Lloyd
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