Poncho with Liz up
Poncho with his partner Mike Moreshead
Poncho
A Rocky Mountain Horse
Photo by Elizabeth Graves
The Wave!!
In the school of Horsemanship there is something that some of us term as the "Upper Wave".
Those that travel in this upper wave truly are on that path of experiencing every nook and cranny of solid hard earned experience. This is not for the ego , for monetary needs, not for status or attention but in understanding that this wave of folks are always working on themselves, for their horses , through their horses as part of their life long journey as a student.
It's not just about getting to be the best one can in their horsemanship in the time their life may last, but in the journey of understanding life in it's completeness and choose the path of the horse to take them there. It for many is very separate from their business but more a personal private side that is shared within a group with the same understanding..
A unique club where all are on the same page, one can't market their way in, manipulate their way in, catch a ride on anothers carpet, or play what we term "the game" to be in.
The piece of the puzzle in getting there is yourself, through work not only in body and physical work but in the emotional place I term as going through and finding "emotional maturity" and the final phase is "emotional wisdom", a wisdom to help those that are to follow behind one in seeking the same path.
In these folks you will find they use no short cuts in their work but take all the time it takes.
A common direction of these horse folks is they become passionate about understanding the history of horsemanship seeking to understand and use horsemanship of a time when the horse was the main mode of transportation, a partner in the battle field, the lively hood on a ranch. They are hard core about the equipment and methods they use. No wannabe saddles, trick training, treat training, mechanical manipulation to create unnatural movements from the horse.
Just hard work, seekers of knowledge and time. A place where patience is paramount.
Mike and Poncho are traveling this path on that wave. It thrills me to see the art of Bosal work, to the making of a true bridle horse is finally finding it's way into the gaited horses world. Even in a small pocket here and there. Also not the production training philosophies of bosal , where the kick and pull methods are used, but as an art of progression. With a true understanding of the proper equipment and it's application and starting in bosal even at the ground work stage.
I grew up in this world learning these methods and still use them on my personal horses. Even when getting the cross eyes from others criticizing what they are not willing to understand rather than climb on board and learn some wonderful old ways. Yes times have changed and I miss the days of old and my youth when the old timers were teaching and sharing freely with no competition or jealousies to get in the way.
I was told recently I needed to be more of a baby, well no horseman or horsewoman worth a salt in my opinion got anywhere being a baby. I've met way to many of them already in this life, it's just not for this gal, I'd rather live full throttle and not whine and whimper along the way and take my lumps even from a horse now and then.
Liz
