27/05/2023
Zo waar! Jammer genoeg zijn er veel mensen die niet open staan voor feedback over hun paard of hun rijvaardigheid. Het is niet gemakkelijk om die spiegel voor te houden. Maar als je er voor open staat is de weg vooruit zeker in stijgende lijn! (Van plezier en leren!)
The urge to defend yourself-
Your teacher has pointed out some tightness or weakness in your horse, maybe a physical issue that needs more exploration.
There comes the pang of defensiveness, and the urge to explain, rationalize, and defend yourself rushes to the surface- “he gets treated and fed well! He’s much better than he used to be! He can’t have ulcers, he has no stress! I got him like this!”
It’s completely understandable. When someone tells you your horse is hurting, it’s easy to feel judged, or like you’ve poorly cared for your horse.
It’s important to understand, firstly, that horses are complex creatures, that domestic life can take its toll, that there is so much to learn and understand about helping them be truly well.
It’s important to understand that an observation is not an attack, but a pathway forward.
Anyone can miss or not see pain- especially if you’re close to the animal in question. It’s much easier for me to see glaring issues on another persons horse than my own, because daily habituation to their behavior and appearance allow me to draw conclusions of that as a normal baseline.
It’s important to understand that any and every horse can improve physically, mentally and emotionally - and that an observation of a weak point is the pathway to betterment, a door to walk through.
It’s important to understand that blame doesn’t matter, or help. If it’s your fault, so be it, if it’s not, so be it. It doesn’t always require gross negligence for a horse to be in pain- it can happen easily, and happens quite often.
Either way the path forward is in your control only. You are the one offered this information, and you can do something with it, or not.
When you are offered this door, it can be easy to perceive it as a punishment, a judgement, a closing, or an end. The reality is, it’s the only way forward - if one chooses to release defensiveness, fear of judgement, and takes hold of bravery and self discipline, a walk through this door sets you free: free to truly help your horse, and many others.
The doorway to true stewardship allows for a sharp and non critical eye to detail- choosing not to acccept mediocrity as the norm, and not to waste a moment wallowing in self pity, but instead selecting the courage to do what is right over comfort every single time.
It is a hard, but necessary task for the horse person dedicated to growth and to the betterment of horses.
