Think about what we say, read and do and all those times were being silent or doing nothing won't be of help and won't lead to an improvement!
What am I talking about? This post is my own 'wake up' call to read materials carefully and to really consider what is being said and sometimes more importantly what is NOT being said, but SHOULD be said!
This post is about words, how easily we use them and how carelessly we read them. It has been prompted by a Face book page I came across this week, promoting a Natural Horsemanship Competition taking place in the UK, this weekend. It's called Horseman's Calling. It's strap line (which I assume, like all marketing strap lines are meant to be, is a claim, benefit or intention) in this case reads.... "For the Good of the Horse".
I went onto their website page to find out more about the event. As I read the description on the "About us" page, I began to question if what I was reading was providing me with compelling evidence that the event would be 'living' up to its' strap line, and if so, exactly how?
My conclusion was no! Here's why:
I don't believe the event is selling what it advertises in terms of being "for the good of the horse".
I do believe it has the intention of bringing together people interested in the terms 'Natural Horsemanship'.
I fear it may deliver a single minded, and already out of date view of what 'natural horsemanship' is and can be.
To me it just isn't selling what it advertises, in fact the horse and what's good for it, hardly seems to feature.
Below are several sentences taken from the Event website. I have written down at the side of each one, the questions or disagreements it raised or posed for me as I read them.
As you read the statements, do you see what I see, or do you see something else? I have no idea if my reactions are correct. Sadly, I couldn't attend the event to find out first hand, as I've not been free this weekend to go.
In general, I believe it is often more honourable to criticise something when you've been, seen, heard and actually experienced it for yourself, so I did not publish this post BEFORE the event took place as that seemed a little unfair, and I have no desire to rain on their parade, just to help us open our eyes and think about what events like this are really offering and actually presenting us with.
The opening text form the landing page of Horseman's Calling reads:
"Horseman's Calling is a unique competition and test of horsemanship
skills, plus an amazing series of demonstrations, aiming to provide
education and entertainment. Run over two days the competition is the
ultimate test of natural horsemanship".
People say 'the devil is in the detail' so the table below outlines 14 sentences on the Event website that I believe contradict the event being about "the good of the horse". Here they are:
| “A unique competition and test of horsemanship skills…” | Do horsemanship have to be about ‘skills’ and ‘tests’? Haven’t we evolved beyond that by now? Why can’t we learn a skill, observe it in action, teach it to others and advance it without tests which creates winners and losers, competition and comparison? |
| Surely every time we seek to test and prove ourselves, to someone, we are being driven and trapped into behaviours that our ego desires, fuelled by needs such as showing off, achieving recognition, fame, fortune or at least a few fans to boost our damaged self esteem! | |
| I wonder if this sentence fits within the definition of horsemanship? Penn State College of Agricultural Science believe it to be about (and I quote) "a planned progression of horse handling and riding skills, with an emphasis on safety and eduction, not competition"! | |
| "Aiming to provide an education and entertainment..." | This brings to mind images of clowns throwing custard pies! Putting education and entertainment together feels a little disrespectful. I see nothing wrong in having some fun as we learn but it doesn't say that. |
| "The ultimate test of natural horsemanship..." | That's a big claim! It's also very limiting. Is it suggesting that there can be no greater test? That has to assume we have learnt all there is to learn right? Wrong! We've only just begun our journey with the horse in relative terms of how much we actually know and perceive. |
| I have no idea what legitimate role 'tests' have in the arena of natural horsemanship. We don't test women for natural childbirth - can you imagine "sorry love that bit when you stopped breathing - can you do it again but this time..." or "good effort; better luck next time" or "sorry, baby has to go back in you didn't pass on this occasion"!! | |
| The only people who love 'tests' are the ones who come up with them, or the cocky sods who think they'll pass! As if life is about passing MAN MADE tests! | |
| "extra twists to challenge the trainers" | Is this about for the 'Good of the horse' or a game of Indiana Jones? So far, the horse, his well being, his spirit or nature hasn't been mentioned. Yet I thought that was at the heart of natural horsemanship. |
| My inherent dislike for 'challenging trainers' is that it encourages the ego. It's promotes nothing more than a game of who is better or the best. When in the moment of a challenge, not many people can step back, observe, think new thoughts, break new ground and listen. Most resort to 'technique-ing' their way out of the situation. This is not promoting the future of the industry or the horse. We need to be careful of such habits. | |
"this.... event will be presented by industry experts" |
Interesting appearance of the word 'industry'. I'm not sure I want to think of my relationship with my horse as an 'industry'. |
| Anyway, who are these 'experts' and who appointed them as such? What criteria was used in that decision making process? How transparent are we being here about the heroes and gurus pro porting to be experts? | |
| Industry is about goods and services, and charging for them. If there really is an industry for Natural Horsemanship - what would it say on the tin? I hope making money and selling the event isn't the primary focus here! If we do want an 'industry' behind us then let's hope it's first role is to set some standards and governance in place so that gurus aren't simply those with magnetic smiles and lots of war stories! | |
| Substance not form is what we need in the horse world. We have enough gadgets and training methods, which fit beautifully into an industry but not into developing inter species relationships (in my view). | |
"...we hope to grow... and involve as many different countries, trainers and methods..." |
This suggests the event is about people more than horses. About training not understanding. About methods not an experience! I'd have felt it was more in line with it's promise (strap line) if it has said something like:
"we hope to grow our understanding of the nature of horses, by working with horses of all backgrounds, sizes, types and ages, so that through a joint experience and observation, we can collectively leave with a desire to continue to learn about, and not assume we know best, when it comes to our horses' needs".
|
“…we hope to grow…. and involve as many different
countries, trainers and methods…”
|
In my experience different trainers
and methods tend to contradict one another,
-
I am worried that 'different trainers' could end up with nothing
more than a variety of chaps, belts, tassel's, accents and silly hats - each
with a book to flog, leaving the audience confused about the best way with
their horse!
|
“…well known established trainers the chance to show and
prove their skills…”
|
- What does the
audience get out of this? Where is the focus on stepping out of existing comfort
zones and exploring new terrain? To
take our thoughts and understanding beyond where it is today is surely how
we’ll get closer to ‘the good of the horse’!
-
I don’t warm to horse events that focus on
the human proving something about what they can ‘do’ with or to a horse, versus
what the human is learning, and what the horse's experience of it all is
like.
- Wouldn’t it be
wonderful if an audience of a couple of hundred spent a half-day quietly
observing horses in nature, in a pasture, being horses, and then
contemplating and discussing what they noticed and how that could advance our
thinking about them ‘for the good of the horse’?
|
“…all for the good of the horse…”
|
- 140 words into the
website and 10 lines down before we see mention of the event being about the
"good of the horse". Why
doesn’t this (its’ apparent focus) feature earlier and lead the entire event
description?
- So far, it’s
not been a feature and as a result I still don’t know how it’s going to be
achieved.
|
“…be tasked with starting two young horses…”
|
The word ‘tasked’ is interesting. It can conjure up an expectation of ‘doing’
‘trying’ ‘effort’ ‘accomplishing’. Is
that how we want to describe ‘natural horsemanship’?
- Surely Natural
Horsemanship should have at its core – words like ease, effortless, simple,
honest, pure, comfort etc.?
- If we see things as
tasks we’ll only ever try to ‘get them done’ and a relationship with a horse
isn’t something we can tick (or check) off on our daily list of ‘to do’s’.
-
|
“… challenges devised to showcase the talents of the
trainer...”
|
- I’d like to watch
trainers learning about a horse, not applying their particular method. You see if we each have a hammer, we go
around looking for a nail! I’m interested in developing my own ability
to learn about horses, unlearn some knowledge I may carry that is flawed, and
be able to apply the art of learning into new situations with horses. A given
gadget or method simply won’t work all of the time with all of the horses and
for all of the people.
- How many of us will
get long lasting value by watching someone do his or her ‘pre-determined’
thing? When others do that, how ‘in the moment’ are they? Are
they awake, listening to the horse in front of them in that moment? Some
might be but many wont’ as they are too focused on what comes next in their
process! I fear that well-known horsemen are under pressure to stick
fiercely to their process or system as that’s what the crowds have come to
see! Where is the focus on the horse
in that dynamic?
|
“Don’t miss your chance to witness the ultimate natural
horsemanship…”
|
- That’s a strong
claim! It feels arrogant because I
hope that we are not yet at the pinnacle of all our knowledge about horses and
horsemanship. I suspect we are only at the beginning. We have so much more
to learn. Much more learning and
un-learning to realise! To think otherwise is arrogant, boring and
uninspiring (to me)!
|
“…who will rise to the challenge…”
|
- These are words that are full
of comparison and competition. i.e. Ego driven. It is the
subliminal language of winners and losers. I suspect the real losers
could be the horses even those in the hands of the winners!
- It’s hard to learn,
grow and advance when you are put into a competition mode. If the trainers
aren't there to learn - they won't be present. If they aren't present
they are unlikely to be connected with, and focused on the horse. Be definition
the real challenge is lost.
|
“Each individual trainer or clinician works with the
horses' welfare”
|
- This is the first and only time the words ‘horses’ welfare’
appear and it is 3 sentences from the end, not the beginning! It can’t be the
real focus therefore.
- I am curious about why the word ‘clinician’, which has
suddenly appeared and I presume is to add some claim of status, legitimacy or
authority to the event. A clinician “is
a health care practitioner that works as a primary care giver of a patient in
either a hospital setting, pre-hospital setting, clinic setting…” Is that
relevant here? Is that really what they wanted to say? Ironically, maybe it is. Many domesticated
horse are already 'hospitalized' (metaphorically speaking), on box/bed rest,
with limited choice of diet, pulled, prodded and probed by others without choice.
If that is part of our reality today, with our horses, what a great
opportunity to open our eyes to that and to collectively, without judgement, seek
ways to change it?
-
|
Bottom line I think the text has been written very well by a wonderfully energetic, enthusiastic wordsmith. However, it has not been written to target an audience of sentient beings who have a deep understanding of the needs of a horse or a passion to further that understanding.
In my opinion, it has not been written with an agenda that actually delivers on it's promise "for the good of the horse". It is teaming with language that focuses on humans, not horses. On tests, challenges, twists and other clever sounding words that detract from learning, understanding, compassion, connection and relationship building.
To me, it is not written with a connection to 'natural horsemanship' or at least my view of what natural horsemanship could be about if we allowed ourselves (all of us) to imagine we can think beyond today's modern thinkers.
It could have been written by anyone. So I imagine 'anyone' will attend. Their motives for doing so? I don't know. Boredom, somewhere to go, to be entertained without responsibility? Any of the above are cruel sounding and yet probable and possible.
That's the wonderful thing about paying attention to language and words, written or spoken - it can open up so many more conscious choices for us, raise questions and help us to think about our expectations. Ultimately, this enables us to make better decisions and use our precious time and money wisely!
Rather than be a total kill joy, my motive behind this post is about wanting to take more responsibility for the things I follow, ensuring it really is doing what it pro ports to do so that I, for one, can get better at supporting people, ideas and events that really are...
doing "Good for the Horse!"
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