MAY 2014 MEMBER HIGHLIGHT

For each newsletter, for The Lightness Foundation, we will spotlight a member.

A story that you love to tell about your horse:

Obie, Obie, Obie. Though I had worked with a number of stallions before I owned him, he was the first stallion that was mine. We purchased him when he was a yearling, so I take credit for all of his training (both good and not so good.) He has been exposed to a number of different styles of training, therefore I say he has "a number of systems" in him. He has moved bulls down the road in Nebraska, has "cut" steers in Wyoming, had been in parades and has piaffed at the base of the State Capitol steps in Denver. I love to take him on trail rides in the Rocky Mountains. He can be driven single, has pulled agricultural equipment, has performed in numerous exhibitions and has won countless ribbons in Fjord horse shows. I have shown him through third level dressage, receiving very respectable scores. He is the epitome of the "Versatile Fjord Horse." Manuel Trigo helped us remove the shackles of "hold-'em-drive-'em" style training and helped us progress to "High School" movements in dressage. He has proved to be (and continues to be) more than a willing partner in just about everything I have asked of him. However there is one thing that I cannot ask of him. He simply cannot perform by himself in an exhibition when there are Fjord mares from his herd in the same venue. After challenging him (in his mind) riding him in the Colorado Horse Expo without his herd in the performance arena, he became very upset and rattled. Later that year, I was riding during a warm-up with our quadrille for a performance near Boulder and he thought he was going to be separated from his herd. He became very tense and agitated, started piaffing, then performed the coolest Ballotade (though not at my request) to make sure he stayed with his group! It felt like we were flying! I have learned from experience that I simply have to respect his instinctive needs to protect his herd and cannot separate them at those times. I am fortunate to have a horse like him. He has been (and continues to be) a great teacher. I have been fortunate to already have had one horse-of-a-lifetime. He is my second.

Tell me your first memory of riding a horse:

I have been horse crazy ever since I can remember. When I was ten years old my mom had a horse for about one year (we lived in the San Fernando Valley in California.) Named Rex, he was a big, chestnut gelding with a white blaze. She would let us ride him from time to time. I begged for a horse every Christmas.

What or who was your first inspiration with horses:

While in my teens, I liked to do a lot of things with horses, but mainly start them under saddle and (even though I was self-taught and was ignorant of training systems) train them. I did not have my own horse (we could not afford one at that time) so initially I worked at a boarding/livery stable to get my "horse fix." I was eventually introduced to and ended up working with several "western" trainers, grooming for, exercising and showing horses in California, Nevada and Arizona but my first real inspiration came after I moved to Colorado and was introduced (by his sister-in-law, Mindy Bower) to Buck Brannaman. After seeing Buck work his magic with horses and people, I rode with him in several clinics over a number of years, including colt starting, horsemanship and ranch roping. Though I was learning about "dressage" at the time, Buck was the first person I worked with who rode in true lightness, with tremendous feel, timing and connection with a horse. I wasn't finding any of that in my dressage lessons, so I kept returning to work with him whenever I could.

What is your inspiration now?

I would have to say, the horses. I am also an artist and I love doing a number of different things with horses, i.e. liberty, driving, showing, exhibitions, etc. If I see something that looks like fun, I usually try it out. For example, in 2005 I saw Lorenzo the Flying Frenchman during the Hop Top show at Equitana in Essen, Germany. Lorenzo is the equestrian performer who stands on his horses' backs both driving and at liberty. What I saw that day made my jaw drop and I wanted to try it out. So after his video, "Lorenzo, L'Homme Liberte" came out in 2006, I taught a couple of my horses to go side by side at liberty, then taught myself to ride them while standing on their backs. It was interesting and fun work and I learned a lot more about my horses, how they they think, how they learn and just how much they want to cooperate with humans!

If you have a dream or vision of riding a horse, what does it look like in your minds eye?

Ha ha ...no tack, no clothes, me on my horse's back and we are flying through the clouds.

Anything else that you would like to share?

According to Qi gong practice and belief, horses come into our lives to help us help us along our life's spiritual pathway. Our lives can be tremendously enriched and we can learn so much about ourselves if we allow ourselves to listen to our horses. Whatever your training goals are, while you spend time with your horse, allow yourself to be totally "with" your horse, letting all of your other responsibilities, worries and distractions drain away. Look for the little gifts they give us every time we are with them. Enjoy the time you spend with your horse and enjoy your horse!