Off The Rez Horsemanship

11/27/2023

Girlfriend of mine and I had a long discussion about learning;
I told her that someone had told me there Is so only much we can learn from books.
"Only so much you will grow"

Going through university most of my learning came from text books. Our exams were based on what we read; it came from studying and understanding It's content. 30% was graded for the practical side of things.
It all depends on how we learn, how we are able to break things down and understand.
Every book I have read I underline and take notes to fully understand its context.

There are 4 prominent types of learning, reading/writing, visual, auditory and kinesthetic.

When im studying psychology /self help i mainly focus on reading and writing.
Taking notes, on what I have read and how to apply it in my life. I also take advantage of the Auditory of the 1000s of hours of incredible content that psychologists have so kindly have made available; So yes we can learn from books and audio; it's learning to break it down and applying it to our daily lives.

When im working horses most of it is a combination of visual and kinesthetic and when attending a clinic of course auditory. I'd like to say most things we are able to learn from a book or videos
; riding isn't one of those things, I am greatful for the 1000s of hours I invested in working with my mentor; and that is just scratching the surface. when a horse doesn't perform the way we want it to the biggest question to ask our selves is "Why"
"Am I sitting centered? Throwing him off balance, am I in his way and preventing him to do what I'm asking him to do?
Too much hand not enough leg
Is my timing off"

Feel and Timing is something I cannot teach it is something one has to develope and must be felt; some people have it and others don't. To those who don't have it one should either take Dance or martial arts those are two great things to teach one timing and feel.

One of my favorite pics of Chance and Journey.

So happy that chance gave you your wings again. so incredibly proud of this young woman of where life is taking her.

11/12/2023

Seeing a shooting star last night made me remember; Once a little girl looked up at the night sky and wished she would work with horses; after a whole lot of work that wish has been granted.
Now looking at the same night sky in complete awe of its beauty I made another wish; This one will require just as much hard work; because Wishing doesn't make it so.

My horsemanship journey hasn't been only about the horse. It's taken me on a Journey of self growth; Understanding my core values trust,respect, growth, empathy, kindness, honesty, thoughtfulness, authenticity I am working on openness that's a hard one for me, being seen and being heard terrifies me; There are a very few people I turn loose with; and even less people I feel safe to do so; but in order to grow one must feel uncomfortable.
Learning to understanding myself has taken my horsemanship to another level.

Over the past few years
With 1000's of hours listening to podcasts and reading books on psychology and horsemanship and understanding that it is my the self limiting beliefs that have held me back from coaching.
Teaching someone how to ride is easy but teaching someone horsemanship is giving a part of myself to someone; not everyone is willing to work on themselves in order to achieve that connection/partnership with their horse.

Jordan peterson, Gabor matte, Jay shetty,
Brene' Brown, Esther Perel,Robin Sharma,
Jon Kabat-Zinn Mark Rashid, Buck Brannaman. Warwick schiller
Are all people I've been listening/reading

11/09/2023

https://fb.watch/ocNfeKYJU3/?mibextid=NnVzG8

11/02/2023

A man's ego is the horses greatest enemy,

When we look at horses in their natural state there is no such thing as " bomb Proof horse"

A better way is saying can I have a emotionally shut down horse that will never set a foot wrong 🙄
A horse will never be bomb proof and that word gives one false security!!!

My mum bought her first horse at 50
A 12 year old apply mare who was advertised as a kids horse,
We seen small kids ride her, seemed quiet enough. I've had this so called "Bomb proof" horse explode!!! Looking back I believe that she was coming out of her shut down state. She no longer knew how to communicate in A subtle manner
because no one had listened to her for a long time; I ate dust on a regular basis, having the knowledge I have now I could have helped her.
Being shut down is a coping mechanism to a trauma response.
Instead of looking for a "bomb Proof Horse" look for an honest one.
Ghost was as honest as they come, he taught me to listen to a whisper an in exchange he trusted me fully. Not because I desensitized him.

Coming back to Ego...
Why is it so easy for people to blame the horse for Everything instead of admitting that they are doing something wrong.
Childeren like horses act out on how they are feeling it is our job to listen.

09/26/2023

The most dangerous phrases in the business world and in the horse industry are" I know that" and
"I've always done it this way"

We tend to stop looking around and learning more when we believe we already know something.
I would much rather hire the less expierienced person who shows the willingness to learn than one set in his ways.
We tend to let our egos get in the way of things which potentially sets us up to get in a wreck; Sadly I've seen this a time or two and theses are the people who tend to blame the horse for every thing and don't learn from past expieriences.

05/08/2023

Coaching and watching these two progress has been an absolute pleasure. Sassy
Is very much like Chance, she is the perfect gauge on where Journey is at emotionally, she doesn't want to Carry anyone's emotional baggage she gets that I ain't listening until you work through your s**t. These are the best therapy horses because they make us look at ourselves.

Sass is a brilliant little mare quick to learn and gets annoyed when timing isn't spot on.
She hasn't made things easy for Journey has had to work hard;
Hard work pays off this is how relaxed a horse should be mounting the first time. Great job and so proud of you both!!!

Journeyy Buchholz Off The Rez Horsemanship

02/21/2023

OTR Trustfall Aka (Chance)

Sometimes it takes a little while for the horses to choose their name.

I am so glad I didn't give up on this mare even though there were times I was close to throwing in the towel.

She sent me down a different Rabbit hole, a Journey of self discovery.

" What if we just fall?
I'm not goin' without you
(And you're not goin' alone)
I fell so far 'til I found you
(But you know what you know, when you know)"
!NK
these lyrics so fitting for her for us... she isn't going to let me fail; she isn't going to let us fall; just like I set her up for sucess and won't let her fail; Sometimes I pick her up and other times she takes the reins and asks me to trust her.

TRUST IS A TWO WAY STREET.

12/20/2022

10/18/2022

Having a Graphic artist design our Logo. They will never want to work with horse people again.

05/08/2022

When you are truly passionate about something, you live it, breath it, you work at it.
Wether it's horsemanship, art,writing. Mastering something doesn't come over night.
Wishing it doesn't make it so.

03/17/2022

02/18/2022

https://m.facebook.com/TBDorrance/photos/a.494514527338443/529146890541873/?type=3

“It’s the control of the feet through the mind that a person’s after.
If you’ve missed that on the ground, on the start, why you’ve missed the part that means the most to the horse.
The person should be focused on getting the best possible connection with the horse on the ground, through feel, if they want to have those parts of the horse available to them when they ride."

From the book 'True Horsemanship Through Feel' by Bill Dorrance.

Image of Bill is by Leslie Desmond and was taken at Mt.Toro back in 1997.

11/12/2021

"True horsemanship is developed in the mindful quality of everything we do—not just in the quality of everything we do with our horses."

Mark Rashid

11/03/2021