 |
|
Photo
By:
Marilyn
Merrick
|
Riding Tips From
Craig Cameron
Craig Cameron on
Horsemanship - Part
1
The fundamentals of
all good
horsemanship are the
same. It doesn't
matter what seat or
discipline or style
of equitation you
ride. You can take
dressage principles
and apply them to
your western horse.
A good horseman is a
good horseman in any
saddle, just as a
good horse is a good
horse, no matter the
breed.
Great horsemen
consistently ride
good horses because
their horses are a
reflection of them.
It's been said that
the horse seeks the
level of the rider.
I think there's a
lot of truth to
that. One rider can
get on a horse and
get nothing out of
the animal, while
another rider can
accomplish a lot
because he presents
things to the horse
in a way the horse
can understand. Any
time you see a good
horseman, try to
learn from him, no
matter the
discipline, whether
it's reining,
western pleasure,
dressage or jumping.
Definition of
Horsemanship
Horsemanship can be
simply stated:
Horse + man (or
woman) =
relationship.
In every phase of
horsemanship - on
the ground or in the
saddle - you have a
relationship with
your horse. Whether
it's any good or not
depends on you, not
your horse. It's up
to you to build a
solid, working
partnership. Your
horse isn't going to
do it for you.
I've always said
that the horse is
perfect for what he
is and that's a
horse. He doesn't
have to do or change
anything. In
perfecting our
relationship with
him, we, as humans,
must understand the
animal's nature and
mechanics and
present ourselves to
the horse in a way
he can comprehend.
Realize that
horsemanship is all
about working on
yourself, not so
much working on the
horse. The horse is
a rhythmical,
balanced, patient,
trusting and
consistent animal.
It's you who needs
to develop feel,
timing, rhythm,
balance, patience,
consistency and
understanding.
The following
theories and
philosophies behind
horsemanship are
something to think
about and let soak
in over time. As you
advance in your
horsemanship
knowledge and
skills, their full
and true meaning
will become more
meaningful to you.
Feel
One of the first and
most important
things you must
cultivate is feel.
It's also one of the
most difficult
because it's a hard
concept to describe
and no one can give
it to you. A good
book to read about
feel is a book
titled True
Horsemanship Through
Feel, by Bill
Dorrance and Leslie
Desmond, published
by Diamond Lu
Productions.
Feel is more than
just a physical
touch; it's also an
emotional response
and a mental
approach to whatever
situation you find
yourself in with
your horse.
Learning to do
anything - dancing,
playing a guitar,
swinging a golf club
- takes time and no
one can really make
you understand it or
do it. They can
teach you the
fundamentals, but
you'll have to
create your own
style and feel.
It's the same in
horsemanship. You'll
have to develop your
own lightness and
understanding of the
horse, or feel. For
example, when your
horse is giving to
the bit in response
to one of your
requests, the most
important thing you
can do is give back
or release the
pressure you placed
on the horse. The
release is the only
thing in it for the
horse. What you're
trying to say to the
horse is: "When you
give, I'll give."
That's a feel. "When
you're soft, I'm
soft." That's a
feel.
"When you yield, I
yield." That's a
feel. It's something
you're going to have
to work on over a
period of time. Be
patient with
yourself. Be patient
with your horse.
It's about give and
take and truly a
game of feel.
You can recognize
that you're
developing feel by
your horse's
responses. It'll
take time for you to
learn when to use
more pressure and
when to use less. In
the beginning it
might take a lot,
but in the end it
should take less.
The result is a feel
that's more or a
suggestion and
finally just a
thought. (to be
continued)
Excerpt from: RIDE
SMART by Craig
Cameron with Kathy
Swan. Pages 37-45
Published by Western
Horseman.
|
