05/05/2021
The Perfect Horseman.
The perfect horseman isn't hard to spot.
He or she doesn't make the mistakes that others do. They've never blown a horse up by trying to hard, they've never let a horse miss his shot by by trying too little.
They never move too fast, they never move too slow. Training is always at just the right pace for their horse...the one horse they've ever owned.
They've never tied a horse out. They've never quit one at the wrong time and allowed him to develop an entitled attitude.
They don't try hobbles, and none of their horses have ever been in a wreck.
They've never used the wrong bit, and some don't believe in using bits at all.
They're confident in the many opinions they possess, and lucky for us, they're always willing to share all of those with any unsuspecting person who dares to share their imperfect journey.
Then there's you. The one who walked the rough road, made the mistakes, took lessons from top professionals and still made more mistakes.
The one who puts the time in, tests many theories, and finds out that some of them were detrimental, and others were life changing.
You ruined a horse, or ten, trying to figure out your first lead change.
You've made a horse sore from jumping too much or stopping wrong.
You taught dozens of horses to hide behind the bit or brace on your hands before you learned the true interpretation of collection... And you're still learning.
You went home crying sometimes because your ride was an absolute wreck. You didn't know the right thing to do, so you just guessed, and it ended up being the wrong thing... But now you know. You know that you don't know much, but one thing you're sure of is this...
You know that everything requires balance. The love, the respect. The quality time and the wet saddle pads. The hackamores, snaffles and bridle bits that have been tested in your hands and the mouths of the many horses you learned with.
You know that the horse comes first and that you'll both be stretched and tested in your journey to becoming a great horseman. You know how easy it is to make mistakes when you're out there trying, so you have compassion when you see a fellow traveler on the path you're walking.
Just as the perfect parent is the one who never had children, the perfect horseman doesn't exist.
The phrase itself is an oxymoron.
Don't be afraid to make the mistakes that will lead you to greatness. Perfection is a paralysis for those unwilling to learn.
And if you're tempted to publicly criticize an individual, remember this; the wise man knows much and speaks little. The fool knows little and speaks all.
-Zacharias Horsemanship
