Philosophy of Teaching
Riders are whole beings comprised of body, mind, emotions and spiritual faculties. As human beings we cannot learn any skill to the true level of art while only learning in one of the above areas. We must learn in the awareness of who we are. Because our faculties are interconnected what happens in the mind affects directly what happens in the physical realm. When we are spiritually stagnant there are negative repercussions in all of the other realms. If we are physically unhealthy and un-whole we bring that to our riding. It affects the mental ability to think clearly, the emotional ability to stay neutral and self-controlled.
We were made to be complete, to be whole in our connection to our Creator. When we are living severed from the Source of our life, we cannot live out the fulness of our purpose. We were made to glorify God, living in abandoned adoration of the Maker and Sustainer of the universe. Anything less than this will leave us with an emptiness. We aspire to fill the void with many things, yet are always endlessly searching. Until we find Him, who is our Wholeness, we will drift without an anchor.
The process of learning to ride is a process of self exploration, self revelation and an aspiration toward authentic, transparent living. To be able to be one with our horses we must first aspire toward entering into an abiding relationship of love with our Maker. The Maker is the Source of knowledge for loving unity between man and horse.
We must come face to face with our weakness, our inconsistencies and our need. It is from a position of humility that we can learn to be servants. When we come to our horses with love and humility we can learn from our Creator and them. From this position of humility we can become servant leaders to our horses.
Fear and ego are two of the enemies of unity and harmony. Fear and pride destroy love. Fear manifests itself in many forms. We can be afraid physically when working with such a large and powerful creature. Fear may cause us to seek to control and micromanage in order to feel secure. We must learn to trust our horses. Only in a relationship of mutual love, trust and respect can a dance of beauty become the inspiration of poetry, music and art.
We can be afraid of social stigma. Often the temptation arises to sacrifice the integrity of the art, for fear of being misunderstood by onlookers. What is in the horse's best interest should motivate the decisions within the training process. What is in the best interest of the student should motivate the decisions within the lesson program.
