Secrets of a Horse Whisperer
The first thought that came into my mind when I heard “horse whisperer” was some sort of man with the ability to actually converse (in some form or another) with horses in a way that he could take an un-tamed, un-broken horse and ride it safely after “talking” with the horse.
It’s been over two months now since I’ve been out here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming… working as a horse wrangler at a ranch called Turpin Meadow. Over the last few months, I’ve learned more of what it means to be a horse whisperer. My original thought, as I said earlier, was not too far off from what a horse whisperer actually is… though there is nothing supernatural about being a horse whisperer. I’ve been blessed to learn how to understand horses and the ways in which they think and act… and in doing so, I’ve learned that being a horse whisperer is about having a teacher/student relationship with your horse, rather than one of master/slave. It’s about being able to read and understand what a horse is thinking and doing - recognizing their attitudes and, in turn, dealing with them accordingly. As one man told me recently, “Deal with the attitude, and you won’t have to deal with the action.” It’s about being a friend and teacher, rather than someone who dominates and enslaves.
The last few days, we’ve been working with two of our younger horses down at the corrals… they’re both three years old, and neither of them have been ridden more than one or two times ever. They’re un-broken, as many people would call them. One is a beautiful light brown mare named Ginger. She’s got a black wavy mane and tail and white socks from her knees down. If I had to choose a horse from our herd of 85, hands down, she’s the most beautiful. The other is a guelding named Angel Boy. He is a lighter brown than Ginger with a white blaze down his face. He’s also got a light brown mane and tail… easily in the top five of my favorite horses in our herd.
It’s been an incredible learning experience being a part of “breaking” Ginger and Angel Boy. There are different ways to break a horse. One way is to simply saddle him up and buck him out… the way I have learned is a longer and slower process, but it develops a friendship and trust in the horse. It’s about understanding the horse and teaching him that you are a place of refuge and friendship — not domination, terror, or fear.
I could continue writing for pages and pages about the specific things I have learned… maybe sometime soon I’ll write again.
Published on 13 Jul 2008 at 4:39 pm.
2 Comments.
Filed under Wyoming.
So incredibly amazing…
Kata on 14 Jul 2008 at 10:06 pm.
you make me so jealous:)
carrie on 17 Jul 2008 at 6:13 pm.