We have spent several weeks with our friend learning natural care, groundwork and enjoying some light riding...but she suggested we visit her trainer and see if we might learn even more.
Going from a casual environment that all of us can enjoy together, to a more structured setting was only appealing for two of the 'gang' and because she only had two lesson horses for really young riders, Mom wasn't able to participate either. (Insert 'boo-hoo' emoticon here.)
Having studied under Buck Brannaman, the instructor was an outgoing, fast moving, cowgirl type; eager to get the kiddos started right away with her horse 'Gracy' and the 'natural horsemanship' ways of riding. She had Lil Miss show her some of what she had been learning with Hannah's horse and gave her some practical pointers for future groundwork. She just had time for Lil Miss that day but put her right to work. She excelled and was posting, for the first time, just minutes into the lesson. The instructor's boisterous commands and hearty encouragement helped her to quickly develop more confidence, better balance on her seat, and she was thrilled that she sent her off to enjoy some riding freedom with a sweet friend (riding assistant) she made. Unfortunately, a little throat tickle we'd felt was quickly exasperated from the dust and smells our bodies weren't used to and became full blown cruddy congestion.
We took the time to heal and try another style of riding instruction, classical. Our teacher gave us a tour of her facility and showed us all of the boarding horses. She was soft spoken and very proud of her particularly favorite breed, Morgans! The facility itself was very clean, smelled like horses-not their waste, had no dust issues, and was literally covered with ribbons, certificates, news paper articles and winning photos from many years past. She spoke softly and succinctly but because we live with a hearing impaired person, we were often asking her to repeat herself. She is very 'hands-on' with her instruction; using a lot of analogies to further her point. She taught us observations about our riding 'center' and with it, the horses ability to accomplish more with less work. She's very specific about her method which, for her, does not allow for any deviation, and detailed how she would follow it to the letter for all future lessons. Although we really want to develop our riding together, they only have horses for small riders. We realized this facility would not meet our needs.
Later, we tried a joint lesson with the previous natural instructor and 'Tech' too was posting within minutes and met with the same successes as Lil' Miss. This time, while they shared the tiny circle pen, Mom was getting a sore throat just watching. The heat mixed with heavy manure/ammonia smell made it really uncomfortable and especially challenging to glean any 'second-hand' instruction, especially with more than one rider involved at a time. This day's instruction method was confusing for our riders and at the confirmation of even larger group lessons of a similar style in the future, our youngsters acknowledged it was not the approach for them. Once again, we realized it was not the best fit for us.
We are happy to have several experiences and are sure we'll appreciate the blessing of the right fit, when the Lord opens the door. In the interim, we keep eagerly devouring all kinds of reading and viewing material, learning on our own, with Hannah, and with those He brings our way.
Later, we tried a joint lesson with the previous natural instructor and 'Tech' too was posting within minutes and met with the same successes as Lil' Miss. This time, while they shared the tiny circle pen, Mom was getting a sore throat just watching. The heat mixed with heavy manure/ammonia smell made it really uncomfortable and especially challenging to glean any 'second-hand' instruction, especially with more than one rider involved at a time. This day's instruction method was confusing for our riders and at the confirmation of even larger group lessons of a similar style in the future, our youngsters acknowledged it was not the approach for them. Once again, we realized it was not the best fit for us.
We are happy to have several experiences and are sure we'll appreciate the blessing of the right fit, when the Lord opens the door. In the interim, we keep eagerly devouring all kinds of reading and viewing material, learning on our own, with Hannah, and with those He brings our way.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Psalms 37:23