A journey from fear to respect -Part 2
Usually when you are trying to overcome something or learn something new, you always have that “Ah HA” moment. The moment where something suddenly clicks. When this happens, it usually gets you over the hump and on the path to victory. My moment came at a barn where the owners had two great danes in their yard. They were separated off by invisible fencing and some “Beware of Dogs” signs. As we walked up to the barn, they came barreling out of the house, barking and growling, doing their job. The big one (Mighty Joe) was saying “This is my house, don’t do anything stupid.”
Well, I love dogs, and I grew up with big dogs. When I saw them, I simply had to meet them. So I entered the no fly zone. I know all the rules. I kept my eyes down, I knelt down in an attempt to soften any aggression they may sense, and I let them smell me for several minutes before petting them. It took about 5 minutes before I was rubbing bellies and scratching ears.
Sitting there playing with a couple confident 150 pound predator animals, I took a gander at my wife across the way brushing a 1000 pound slightly nervous prey animal and realized that I can do this. I just had to learn the signals. If I was not afraid of two barking/growling Great Danes, then there is no reason I should fear the horse. So I immersed my self one step at a time.
It started with exposure. Just being around horses, and listening to everything my wife and her trainer (Karen Zoelle) said during lessons. Early on, without doing anything but listening, you would not believe how much I learned. At this time, my wife was just beginning formal training. Thus her lessons started right from the basics, both in riding and handling a horse. Being able to listen at first, without having to do, allowed me grasp some understanding and thus confidence. Slowly I learned to brush, pick hooves, put on a saddle, and even ride a little. The most important part of the early experience was Karen. (disclaimer: so I don’t get yelled at, my bride plays the biggest role in all of this as we move forward) I am not sure if Karen did it on purpose, but she kind of hand picked my first experiences and made sure I did not end up in any negative situations.
I am still not sure when it happened, but at some point I suddenly realized I was no longer afraid. I still did not have a lot of confidence, but the paralizing /hand trembling fear was gone. In it’s place was a healthy respect for these incredible animals. I had come to understand the similarities and the differences between dogs and horses. (sorry, I always refer back to dogs because it is what I know.) Both animals need strong leaders, but for seemingly different reasons that I am not sure I can easily explain in words. If handled improperly, they are both capable of hurting you. Dogs will do it on purpose, horses will do it on accident, but they have one huge thing in common. Both species will almost always do it out of fear. If you can reduce the fear factor, you greatly reduce the chance of anything bad happening.
Early in my learning experience, I did not fully grasp how important the concept of fear was in horse training. I was so focused on controlling my own fear, that I never fully understood that it was the horses fear that really needed to be quelled. This is a lesson I learned later, when my wife bought her own horse.
(to be continued….)
“Lee Geurts” aka Lee Speakin
My Knowledge Sources (bibliography)
- Karen Zoelle – Green Bay, WI Based Dressage Trainer
- Julia Cornette – Green Bay, WI Based Horse Trainer
- Ellie Neerdales – Green Bay, WI Based Natural Horsemanship Trainer
- Danielle Jauquette – Green Bay, WI Based Hunter Jumper Trainer
- And of course my lovely bride, Leslie Heyden