A poet put into words the very thing I search for when I am working with horses and riders, which is to "reveal the truth within". By "revealing the truth within" we are able to liberate the potential of both horse and rider, creating a harmonious relationship and picture of beauty and grace. This blueprint for our education in becoming master artisans of horsemanship may be found in the famous line of Robert Browning's "Paracelsus":
"Truth is within ourselves; it takes no rise
From outward things, what'er you may believe.
There is an inmost centre in us all,
Where truth abides in fullness; and around,
Wall upon wall, the gross flesh hems it in,
This perfect, clear perception which is truth.
A baffling and perverting carnal mesh
Binds it, and makes all error: and to know
Rather consists in opening out a way
Whence the imprisoned splendour may escape,
Than in effecting entry for a light
Supposed to be without."
After many years of working with a very troubled horse named Sunshine, I may be on the verge of discovering the secret which is transforming Sunshine from one state of mind to another. To say she has been a challenge is an understatement. Five years ago she started as a belligerent, defensive, and aggressive horse and now is turning into an intelligent and co-operative partner who will let her guard down with me from time to time, offering me a little trust.
I have discovered that deep within this troubled horse is an imprisoned wealth of magnificent character qualities. Those talents and graces, buried beneath her rough and tough physical exterior, did not need to be developed but instead liberated. Before the true horse could shine through in her I dug deep down within myself, finding many things in my own character which needed rooting out or at least modified in order to understand how to help Sunshine releive her tension and heal her scars. Through the process we both have been liberated to be who we are, expressing our talents with unreserved passion. Well, maybe me more than Sunshine, but I hope to continue to lead the way for her.
With continuous observations, constant experimentation, and the gentle techniques I have learned with natural horsemanship, I have begun to open all sorts of ways for Sunshine's imprisoned splendor to escape into expression. At first the expression was limited, timid and confined because of the newness of the experience, but now it is begining to be more spontaneous, exuberant and abundant. The defensive horse who was really terrified of everything is starting to share more of her real self with me. And it is this unrestricted sharing of her real self which has enabled me to accomplish more with her than some thought possible. It is not my perfect technique or my own horsemanship talent that has brought about this change in her, but my willingness to allow her to be the horse she is and aiming to bring out her best qualities.
I think it is very important to recognize the potential in a horse and in a rider, then give them the opportunity to reveal it from within. I guess that is my drive for providing clinics and camps for horses and people. The thing that has guided me with horses and students is that moment of recognition, that truth, when things are "right". We all know it, feel it and see it when that "rightness" happens. It is not difficult to spot, even an untrained eye can admire it.
Last week in the clinic at BKT in Lincoln we witnessed this moment of truth when we watched a young girl riding a plain brown horse named Molly. She is not an exceptional horse in confirmation or breeding. But together, horse and rider, looked like they were performing a ballet. All that was missing was the orchestra music, which wasn't necessary because they blended perfectly and not a note of music was needed to complete their harmony. Molly was so light on her feet, they were like a whisper in the dirt and her rider was a breath on her back. It was just a simple canter circle but there was something magical about it. Two beings as one. It was a moment of truth, peace, and happiness I will always remember.
I know when the riders are finding themselves because they look confident, elegant, and secure. I know when the horses are finding themselves because they choose to be deep in concentration, they experiment with their bodies and are happy in the work. Everyone can see it when things are right, but it can be hard to see what is missing when things are not right. Trying to find what is missing, figuring out how to draw out the latent talents and teach the required skills is the greatest challenge of what I do. Good horsemanship is so much more than technique or mechanics it is something that comes from within.
The brutal honest feedback provided by our horse is our best guide to the truth which is within us!
Happy Trails,
Sherry Jarvis
"Horsemen share knowledge. Showmen hide it in a corner and go home." -- AQHA Judge Dale Livingston
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