And there was a time when I would have enthusiastically endorsed his misperception.
It was one of those few times when the two major parts of my life--being a criminal prosecutor and being a teacher of natural horsemanship overlap. I have been in a murder trial all week and as I was preparing for my opening remarks I was doing some breathing exercises. Sometimes they can be a bit loud.
Opposing counsel looked surprised and then said, "Oh, you are just psyching yourself up."
In fact, the exact opposite was occuring. I was psyching myself down. I was going into a deeper state of relaxation that would make me less impulsive and more able to notice everything going on around me. I was slowing down my heart rate and clearing my mind.
In short, I was doing the same thing that I do when I am confronted with a terrified horse with a training problem. I prepared my body to be under my own control. I put my emotions in my pocket where I could reach in and pull them out only if doing so would be effective.
When i was young I ran off of adrenaline and confidence. The two made potent fuel, but they burn too hot to use long term.
I am working hard to teach the kids that I am training now to understand that they must first control their emotions before they can control a horse effectively. It is a concept that matters.
If your horsemanship is not making you a better person it is failing you and you are failing your horse.
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