Sometimes I wonder how much of that impatience we feel is our horse saying “Come on, hurry up and get it!” and how much is our own inner guidance system kicking our rear ends into more effective action. Tiny Blondie in the photo above certainly spent the early part of her life wishing I would hurry up and get it, precious little bundle she is!
For a woman who uses words for a living, I’ve been incredibly dense about finding the right words to describe the essence of our work here. – but editing the movie I was talking about in my last blog has been a gentle kick in the pants in the right direction. 🙂
What if impatience is supposed to lead you to a better faster outcome?
I talked in my last blog about Dawn taking 7 minutes to find bubbling with happiness with her little horse who was shaking with fear. And then Joe taking just under an hour, before they had – together – achieved HIS bubbling with happiness AND the outcome of him reaching out to touch a human for the first time voluntarily.
Now THAT’s fast…
In this world of so much instant gratification, I see people increasingly looking for a quick fix with their horse – and contrary to what you may expect from me, I love it. We get impatient BECAUSE there’s a better faster way – that’s what impatience is actually trying to tell us. Feeling impatient is actually a good deal.
The part of it that ISN’T a good deal, is staying stuck in impatience, repeating the same kind of things you’re feeling impatient about and escalating the frustration of not finding that better faster happier way.
The trouble is, the quick fix is NOT found by rushing our horse. It’s NOT found in making them submit, no matter what pretty words we dress that up in. The quick fix is NOT found in that new piece of gear that gives you more control. It’s NOT found in the new technique that bloke came up with to make a horse do what they’re told quickly (gosh we’ve seen so many horrors, I’m biting my tongue!) There’s no “fix” at all found in any of those things – quick or otherwise.
The quick fix is found in working smarter not harder and it starts with what you’re looking for.
You’re looking for a buddy aren’t you? A four legged friend? A horse you can have fun with, that will have fun with you? A horse that you can do things with and you both enjoy yourselves? A horse you can hang out with and feel good with? A happy confident horse and a happy confident you?
Do you think anyone who is rushing their horse into confusion or pushing them into resistance, or forcing them into a sad submission are going to find any of those feel good things that you’re looking for?
No I don’t think so either.
The quick fix is actually about learning how to listen to your horse and to yourself and knowing how to figure out what action to take on what you hear / feel – like Dawn did with Joe in under an hour. THAT is a quick fix.
Learning how to work like that is the slowest part.
Back to Dawn and Joe.
Yes, Dawn has to keep on listening to Joe or they’ll go backwards. But that’s why she’s got our Fast Track program to follow up with – to keep her on track.
Like Dawn and Joe, you can have me and the whole Fast Track community here in your lounge room / paddock / field / stable / barn too.
Start your New Year off on the right lead…
Yes that was a pun… Right lead… as in horse’s canter lead – as in easy when you’re on the right one and kind of bumpy when you’re not? lol!
Full of and wisdom as always Jenny and a potent reminder of whats important on these privilaged horse journeys so many of us are blessed to be on….. 😘 thank you. Xx
One of my favourite sayings from Anna Blake is “We show strength by the actions we don’t take, waiting from the acknowledgement from the horse that is his to give, not mine to take”
Lovely stuff, Jenny, and how well it applies to all relationships — with a partner, kids, in-laws, you name it. Even one’s relationship with oneself (I had another lesson on that just yesterday.) Thank you for finding the words. They’ve landed! x
You’re welcome Robyn and I’m glad they landed. It’s so easy to make stuff “wrong” hey? Impatience is such a clever feeling, leading us to the good stuff. 🙂