I read a book the other day that was recommended to me by a horse group that I follow. It wasn’t something I would have picked up without a recommendation, but I was curious. The book had some things in it I didn’t agree with, but I also found things I hadn’t thought of in that way before, or conclusions that both this author and I had come to separately while working with horses. All in all, I was glad that I read it, even if some parts made me cringe.
Not everything in other’s experience or views is for us. I have seen instances where disagreeing with one part of a certain horse tradition or method leads someone to toss away every part of that training. I myself have been in this mindset at certain points. In some cases the trainers themselves encourage this all-or-nothing approach. They state that if you don’t take all of it then you might as well take none.
To me this is sorely limiting. What if there’s a piece of something in there that I find is a missing puzzle piece in my own experience with horses? What if I’m interested in working with a horse that has only ever been trained in one tradition, and I want to understand that horse’s mindset better, or start a conversation in a way familiar to them? What if I’m just curious?
I don’t know if I’d ever be able to follow one trainer’s method from beginning to end with every horse. It’s probably simpler. It would get the job done in most cases. But working with a horse is a conversation. Each horse is an exploration of a new relationship. If the horse says “absolutely not” or doesn’t even recognize one way of speaking, is it wrong to shift into something else? Why wouldn’t we take bits and pieces of learning from everyone we come across? Just in case it might be useful at some point. That book may have some things I disagree with and would never do, but there are other parts that I would definitely be willing to try. I would be less equipped without having experienced this differing perspective.
My own book might stretch what you already know, or it might have parts you disagree with and have to dig through for something that works for you. That’s ok! Take the bits and pieces you need. If you’d like to give it a read, or get my blog posts in your inbox, follow the links on my page at MaeveBirch.com
Maeve Birch Home 