All the crappy things I did when I started!

29.09.11
I think I made a few people cry with my last video, so I thought I would do a funny video this time!

Carolyn Resnick wrote somewhere something like "the first time you work with a horse at liberty is often awkward". It sure was awkward for me!!! I did not know what to do, how to walk, how to signal to my horse what I was waiting for, how to react to what my horse was doing, what was fair or unfair, and I was afraid of doing wrong. You will see in this video some of my first times working with a free horse. I was really getting started, I did not know the Carolyn Resnick's method. I just started to read some books from Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling. Otherwise, I was following the methods from 2 well-known horsemen, both working the same way with a round pen, lead ropes, and using (like many Natural Horsemanship methods) the principle of putting pressure on the horse and release the pressure when the horse does the wanted behaviour. I truly wanted to connect with my horse, but I was still in the idea that I had to control the horse first.

Joy, the little mare I was working with at that time, taught me it was not the good way of doing things ;) She was a 19 years old Freiberger mare, a really self-willed old lady. At that time, I found that she was very difficult and stubborn. But looking back, I find her reeeeeaaaaaaaaally patient with me, almost as if she knew I was trying my best but knew nothing. She looks so cute to me when I look at the videos now! Toward the end of the video, she starts to be pissed off, but she warns me, and warns me, and warns me again, without getting really agressive (she could have!!!) Joy I am really sorry I bothered you like this, and I am truly grateful for what you taught me! It helped me a lot afterwards!! Because you stayed so strong and inflexible with me, I understood something was missing, searched again, found Carolyn Resnick and drastically changed my approach! So here a big THANK YOU!!!

And also many thanks to my sister who took those crappy videos at that time with her small camera! It was only by seeing myself that I could progress!

So now, I hope you will have fun watching! May this remind everyone that we all start somewhere, and that getting through the process of trial and error is really valuable!

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Horse
• natural horsemanship
• liberty training
• beginner
• crap

[Misskaty2011]

Ha Ha, this is so funny. At least you can laugh at yourself. This looks like me right now. I know what I want to do but it just is not working out that way. When did the change click in? Joy went from patience to annoyance to when are we ever going in for dinner?

[AlichinaThePinkLady]

@Misskaty2011 Hi Misskaty, I am not sure I understand your question. Do you mean the change in Joy or the change in me? If it is for Joy, it is like you describe, she became more and more annoyed with time, which made me understand I was doing the wrong thing ;) And for me, I started to change when I discovered Carolyn Resnick's method. I can only recommend you to have a look at her blog if you do not know her yet :)

[Misskaty2011]

@AlichinaThePinkLady That's right I meant the change in you. Yes, I've looked at Carolyn Resnick's stuff recently. I also like K. Hempfling. I'm happy for both you and Joy, it's always nice to find a way that is positive and enriching.

[AlichinaThePinkLady]

@Misskaty2011 Thanks :) Actually I was not working with Joy anymore when I started to make progress, but with the next horse I took care of, Bonito. But Joy taught me a lot! I like K. F. Hempfling's stuff too, he is really amazing! But I was not able to put his method into practice, this is why I turned to Carolyn, who has a similar philosophy but is able to explain things so that everybody can understand.

[vickelientje]

OMG Elodie! this video is SO funny! I laughed my socks off! thanks for sharing! What a wise mare is Joy... so patient with you. Beside the fact that it is so funny... look what you have learned!! I'm very impressed to see where you came from and what you have accomplished with Bonito. You are a wonderful (horse)woman Elodie! The next horse in your life will be so lucky to have you!! And we are lucky too knowing you! ;-)

[AlichinaThePinkLady]

@vickelientje Haha I'm so happy it makes so many people laugh :D Yes as you say the good thing is: obviously one can say that I made a lot of progress since then!! XD And yes Joy was really patient, I find this incredible when I look at this!

[AlichinaThePinkLady]

@Gydjulind I'm glad to hear (or read) that Marja XD Yes Joy's expression is so funny :'D I feel really sorry for her now :')

[Gydjulind]

Still tears here Elodie..... from LAUGHING :-) :-) :-)!!! This is hilarious! It looked very 'important' and 'mysterious' what you were doing, haha! Poooooor pooooooor Joy......, all the things she had to endure! I could hear her think: *BIG SIGH*...... "well, I think I'd better do nothing but walk veeeeery slowly, but please can SOMEONE RESCUE ME!!!"

The music is absolutely funny too! I laughed myself a pain in the belly :-))!