| Not many people think of working with horses as | | | | predator, while also preserving your safety. Using |
| a way to help yourself; but in fact that is exactly | | | | the rope also teaches you to "give up control;" in |
| what can happen. When you work to train a | | | | other words, you must "listen" to the rope in |
| horse, you are working with the mind, and once | | | | order to roll it up. This parallels listening to the |
| you have the mind, the rest of the body follows. | | | | horse; after all, the horse teaches us to teach |
| As you teach the horse about Man's World (as | | | | him. Using the rope allows you to practice this |
| you know it), you use your own natural mental | | | | mindset. The first step is to change your way of |
| skills. In turn, the horse will in turn put you back in | | | | thinking. If your attitude truly is "How can I help |
| touch with nature, while allowing you to find | | | | you?" your focus will be on "listening" to what the |
| balance within yourself and be the best that you | | | | horse is telling you to do to accomplish your |
| can be. The better you are, the better the horse | | | | picture. This takes the pressure off of you and |
| will be. | | | | allows you to be "in the zone." You have a picture |
| It's all about changing your mindset. Your job is to | | | | and the horse tells you what to do to create the |
| help your horse learn about "Man's World." In | | | | picture. The more you improve the horse's |
| order to do that, you first need to understand | | | | knowledge, the easier your task will be. This type |
| how to go into his world. One successful way is | | | | of work can help a trainer who is already working |
| to change the attitude of "Do what I tell you to | | | | with a rider to improve in a particular discipline. can |
| do" into "How can I help you?" When people learn | | | | benefit horses and riders in all disciplines. |
| to become the alpha in a herd of two (the herd | | | | While doing this work, there are five rules. Rule |
| being made up of the horse and the person) this | | | | #1: There are no rules. Rule #2: Your safety. Rule |
| "How can I help you?" mindset is at work. The | | | | #3: The safety of the horse. Rule #4: |
| lifestyle of a horse is different in his natural setting | | | | Conservation. Rule #5: See rule #1. While following |
| as opposed to the environment we bring him into. | | | | these rules, participants often see that the |
| For example, in the herd, there is a certain | | | | situations that occur in the round pen often parallel |
| pecking order where he has a number of | | | | or "mirror" situations that occur in their lives. In |
| teachers. When we bring him into our world, we | | | | working to help the horse, you can also work on |
| need to teach him about the world he is coming | | | | changing negative habits that you have acquired |
| into, and become "the alpha" of the herd of two. | | | | and work toward self-improvement. In fact, |
| In the round pen you simulate life. In order to | | | | although this work is used for horse owners and |
| establish yourself as the "alpha", the initial work is | | | | trainers, it can be used to improve relationship |
| based on four tasks: movement, direction, rhythm | | | | skills for couples or families. For example, in |
| and track. In working with a horse, you use your | | | | working with the horse, children can learn |
| body to apply pressure, the same way that you | | | | parenting skills by setting boundaries for their |
| use your legs and reins when you ride. In the | | | | horse. For a career professional, as you learn to |
| round pen, your body represents your reins and | | | | be committed to helping the horse stay on track |
| the pressure you put on represents your legs. In | | | | in the round pen, you can envision the parallels to |
| other words, pressure means something, but the | | | | being committed to staying on track in your |
| horse tells you how much pressure to apply. In | | | | career. Round pen work can even be used in |
| this situation, you practice giving up control, | | | | addition to traditional therapy methods. A local |
| thereby being in control and setting the example | | | | therapist has seen positive results with her clients. |
| for the horse. This is a way you can practice | | | | "(This work) brought each individual's patterns and |
| your riding, as well as your timing, your feel, and | | | | feelings to the surface as they attempted to |
| many other things, all without actually riding the | | | | have the horse complete the task they were |
| horse. It can be the beginning of a step by step | | | | given or the task they gave themselves. In each |
| process of gaining his trust so that you can build a | | | | instance, the horse became the mirror for where |
| solid foundation. After the initial work, a | | | | they were, where they were stuck, or what they |
| systematic approach is used to test the body, | | | | were feeling. As a therapist, it is important to me |
| first along one side, front to back, then moving to | | | | that the client discovers his or her own |
| the other side, because for every horse, there | | | | "monsters." The issues became glaringly apparent |
| are two horses, the left and the right. "We do this | | | | to the client who is working with the horse in the |
| to test the body in order to find if we get a | | | | round pen and, in this case, to the family |
| negative response or one of the three "F's" | | | | members observing the process." The work can |
| (freeze, flee or fight) due to a lack of | | | | also benefit business/corporate and school groups |
| understanding. Depending on the reaction from the | | | | with the emphasis on self esteem and |
| horse, we can tell if there are issues in that part | | | | teambuilding. Urica Pope, Program Coordinator for |
| of the body, mentally transforming "mistakes" or | | | | the Creative Services Department of South |
| negatives into positives because we know which | | | | Carolina ETV, worked in 2004 with Anderson and |
| areas need work. Finally, after the ground work, | | | | groups of young girls participating in a gender |
| when you add the saddle, bridle and rider, you | | | | equity program. "There is a valuable lesson to be |
| have a harmonious relationship and a partner who | | | | learned from it," said Pope. "We chose this |
| is ready to work with you. If the initial experience | | | | program because it deals with leadership. We |
| is positive, a solid foundation is laid and a | | | | want the girls to work together and with the |
| remarkable partnership will develop. During this | | | | horse as a team-building program." For Bobbi |
| process a two-fold thing is happening. You think | | | | Kennedy, vice president for continuing education |
| you're there to teach horses, but in the end, | | | | at S.C. ETV, the goal is teaching young girls that |
| they're teaching you about yourself. | | | | they can "take on a complex topic and master it." |
| Many times we teach horses to be dependent on | | | | Kennedy said that the girls don't just learn for |
| us by telling them where to go and what to do; | | | | themselves but learn how to work as a team, a |
| we always have something attached, whether it | | | | concept that is a constant theme in the program. |
| is a halter and lead line or bridle and reins. We | | | | In workshops with Anderson using two horses, |
| take away these artificial attachments, and by | | | | the girls also covered topics such as anger |
| using pressure, one of his natural forms of | | | | management, self confidence and how to say |
| communication, ask for what you would like, | | | | "no." |
| allowing the horse to make choices for himself | | | | The nice thing about this work is that it allows |
| and learn about consequences if he makes the | | | | you to be the best that you can be. If you come |
| wrong choices. This allows you the opportunity to | | | | to the round pen and do something that you are |
| simulate life in our world and let him know what | | | | afraid to do, and do it well, you will build your self |
| can happen to him in when he makes that mental | | | | esteem. With horses as a representative of |
| choice. Having no attachments can be an | | | | nature, in working with them, people are getting |
| advantage that can help you to strengthen your | | | | back in touch with the environment through the |
| "mind power." While you are increasing your | | | | horse, thereby finding balance in both worlds, |
| mental skills, you are building confidence in your | | | | "Man's World" and "Nature's World." Give a man a |
| horse and at the same time building your own | | | | fish, feed him for the day; teach a man to fish, |
| self-empowerment. This also allows the horse to | | | | feed him for a lifetime: but you've got to let him |
| rely on his natural instincts and gives you the | | | | get to the pond. If we stay on the path that |
| opportunity to practice life skills such as listening, | | | | we're on, there quite possibly may be no fish left |
| timing, feel, patience, and many more. While in the | | | | in the pond. Horses are helping humans find |
| round pen, one of the tools is a 35' lariat, which | | | | balance in their lives, thereby showing that once |
| can be used as an extension of your arm. This | | | | again, as they did in the past, horses can play a |
| makes it possible to "reach out and touch the | | | | vital role in our society. |
| horse" without making it necessary to act as a | | | | Copyright (c) Nature's View, Inc. |