Starting Point Equestrian, Pittsboro NC

starting her lesson horse internship. 🤩

continuing her lesson horse education. Getting used to crazy beginner leggies. 🍗 🦵🏼😁

I have done a bad job of posting about , and even a sadder job at doing much with her this past year.

This past April has been 2 years since I got her and she's now 5. She's tame. I can get her to go with me around the farm, brush her, put a saddle on her, and I think 🤔 maaaaybe this counts as a first ride on her? I dunno. I think it counts. I'll take it.

But I still don't think I can TELL her to do much of anything. She has self confidence and can handle herself. I have no desire to ever go to a battle of wills with her. Many "trainers" preach you have to make a horse respect you, come hell or high water.

And I've been there, it was part of my early education riding Western Pleasure show horses as a kid.

But what do you create with that mindset? An empty shell of a once sentient being that is now lifeless? A anxious reactive nervous mess? Or a pi**ed off individual?

Does it matter? Because you probably won't have a partner, you'll just be good at coercive control.

I'd rather find a common language with her and get her buy-in on 80% of the things I'd ever want to do with her, and only pull out the bossy card for the 20% of the things she truly has to endure (veterinarian treatment, avoiding a more dire consequence such as getting hurt, etc.).

She has a right to say no, and I have a responsibility to refine my dialogue and ask better questions.

~Kaye