There have been many times in the course of my forty some-odd years on this planet where I have had a real 'Ah-ha' moment about life, and then found that those moments of realization improved my horsemanship drastically. One of the biggest moments was when I learned how to learn.
I spent a few years in the Military in my early 20's, the job I chose going into my enlistment had an 80% wash out rate, meaning 80% of the people who tried to get this job were re-routed into another career field. I had no plan B - this was literally the only job I saw myself doing in the Air Force... Training started off tough but, I was doing well... and passing! After the first few months, however, I started to realize this wasn't about passing tests, this was about being able to do a job, and do it exceptionally well. 9/11 happened when I was going through my training, and our relatively calm world, had quite a bit more pressure on it, especially for military members. The training I was receiving was quickly going to be operational for me, I needed to be sharp and confident in my skills. The tests on paper were minute compared to the tests I was going to receive in the war zone. So after so many years of formative school, high school, and college, I had to learn how to learn. Once I began to understand the workings of our aircraft, the cause and affect, and the mechanics of it all, the tests were easy. My confidence soared because of my understanding, and I craved more knowledge. Growing up with horses, it was relatively the same concept. My knowledge of horses was someone telling me 'we do this, because we want the horse to do this...' Don't ask questions, just make the equine do it. After my military 'Ah-ha' on learning, I began to apply this to my horsemanship, HOW can I get my equines to do something where it is desirable for both me AND them? How do they learn? What makes sense to them and how can I apply it so they can easily understand my ask, and have the willingness to do it? What do I need to change in me to encourage confidence and understanding in my animal? All of these questions started me down a path of horsemanship that had me craving more knowledge, a knowledge that I truly believe can never stop growing. This was a pretty pivotal point in my relationship with horses, I noticed that working through one issue, helped solve 5. In working slower, I accomplished results faster. And recognizing each equine is so different and is going to offer a different education to me and may require a different approach from me. I am grateful for so many of the great horsemen in our past that have taken the time to learn the equine and share their knowledge, so I can continue to learn to learn!
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AuthorPaula Stirewalt is a Certified Equine Sports Massage Therapist, a Colorado State Horse Judge and has 25+ years in the horse industry. Archives
February 2024
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