Partnership I

How often have you heard the remark, "They have a great partnership. That horse wouldn't do that for anyone but her."

What does this mean?

I don't see myself as an exceptional rider. Not at all. I struggle with position, confidence, focus, and commitment. Often, I believe that my horses would perform far better for someone more skilled than I am.  Indeed, I know that this is true in dressage as my trainer has ridden my horses far better than I have.

So consider my surprise (and delight) when a top trainer responded to my statement that I should send Mick to someone so he can go run Rolex (or a CCI***). His comment was, "That horse loves you; he probably wouldn't do this (referring to cross country)  for someone else."

I recall this because someone else said the same thing to me last week...  someone for whom I have great respect and who does not pass out compliments lightly. Indeed, I'd be flattered if she were to read my blog. :-)

Wow.

This got me to thinking. Is this true? Has this been true of any of my other horses? Maybe there have been a couple in my past but to be honest, I think that Mick and I have a special relationship that I've not experienced with other horses. There is a sense of partnership, trust, and a marriage of sorts that can develop between a horse and rider. That partnership forges through hours of time together, communication, need for one another, trials, challenges, and successes. And it is a relationship that works, much like a human-to-human relationship... but maybe deeper. After all, what sort of trust does it take to actually have one partner carry and one guide the other across large obstacles?

Today, I want to consider what this partnership is. And from there, I will consider what it takes to get there.

Let's break this down...  what is this partnership? I think it starts with a horse who bonds with a rider or groom who is there for them on a consistent basis. That horse whinnies when he sees your car, he gets upset when you leave him, he does things for you willingly that he doesn't do for others (such as load on the trailer, pick up his feet, stand quietly for clipping). If left without you, he may develop ulcers, he chases others (dogs, horses, people?) away from you and will stand between you and those others. He reaches out and tries to nip you at times (assuming you aren't one who carries treats around). He is noticeably not pleased when others ride him (as in he pins his ears or gets lazy and sullen), and he may go as far as to try to buck them off.

Most important, when you are riding, you feel a connection where you can think something and you get the sensation that he both hears you and answers you. It is a rather ephemeral sensation that is difficult to describe. It is not as simple as your horse being nervous when you are nervous. It is more of a sensation that there is a conversation occurring without words or motion.

Telepathic?  Perhaps. But I am enough of a scientist by training that I hesitate to use that term lightly.

I am guessing that there are many partnerships out there that involve this sort of communication and I am guessing that there are riders for whom this sort of partnership comes more often. It may be part of what makes one rider gifted or have a way with horses...  As a child, I recall a trainer who would talk about the sixth sense of horsemanship and how she could see it in some children at an early age.

Can you think of rider-horse partnerships out there that have a special bond? I'd love to hear about them.

Regardless of one's propensity to forge a partnership, accessing this sensation and connection with a horse comes with time and work. I want to address later (1) how one forges this sort of connection and partnership; and (2) the extent to which we can proactively work toward forging this partnership with our horses.

I love comments....