27/01/2025
Zana speaking on Karl’s page:
Being of First Nations descent- my granddad was born on a reservation in Canada and ended up in the UK, I feel very comfortable and at home with native ways and practices
We were good horse people.
This quote says so much.
I teach this all the time, on every course - Hang out with your horses, your animals.
Get to know them, get to know each other - it’s takes time, so take that time, stop rushing.
Just jumping on a horse you don’t know is brave and potentially risky and unfair to both you and the horse.
You have no relationship and therefore trust.
This is always difficult if you ride at riding schools, maybe have a share horse or are buying a new horse and trying out horses to buy at a yard.
You don’t know each other, the quirks, the behaviours from both of you.
So when I buy a new horse I treat every horse as if it’s 3 years old, even if it’s 14 yrs old and has hunted, done cross country whatever, I start from the beginning as the horse hasn’t done this with me.
I’m a new person to that horse.
We don’t know each other.
The horse doesn’t know that I’ll look after him, that I’ll keep him safe, that I’ll train him to the best of of my abilities and help him out in the world to become a confident horse and eventually independent and self assured.
Why should he just trust me?
It’s not a given a horse should listen to you - you have to earn that right and prove yourself to the horse that you are worth listening too.
Enjoy the journey of training and learning about each other.
Take the time
Make the time
It’s not a race, it’s about creating the best relationship you can
