Arizona
It seems as though there is always some type horse activity going on here in Heber/Overgaard -- trail rides, clinics, etc. We have had visitors at the Horse Camp every weekend. We get folks from large horse groups in the valley who drive up to “check it out” for next summers events. All pretty exciting. By the time you read this, summer will be over in Rim County and some sort of hunting season will be in effect. The weather is always chancy in October, but usually, it is one of our best months, weather wise.
A while back we read a report done by some trade group re the habits of horse owners. We checked it out on the Internet and found that it was a long, detailed survey on what seemed like every aspect of the horse industry. . a lot of details on eery aspect of horse and horse owner’s life. Gerri handled the internet part, so we really got into it. I had only three questions of the thousands that could be asked:
1. What percentage of the horse owners (or users) are women? The answer - 75% + or -.
2. What is the age group with the largest percentage of users? The answer -50 to 70 years + or -. 75% + or -.
3. What is the main riding activity? The answer - Trail Riding - 75% (many rider listed other activities in addition to trail riding, but Trail riding was by far primary.
The truth is that I am working from memory and I may be off a point or two in my reporting, but for my purposes it is a “close counts” deal. If I were to guess, my numbers would have been close to the same.
The number that was enough to make one think is the age of the riders. How is this possible? 50 to 70 years?
Are these folks that used to ride in their youth that now that they have reached the ‘empty nest’ stage are looking to fulfill a deep yearning to be horse back? Is it a yearning to have a little touch of country living in the urban life? Could it be a John Wayne or Ben Johnson spirit calling to the men? Is it a chance to get into the outdoors with friends to enjoy the unsupervised freedom the trail offers? Could it be a maternal instinct for the woman who wants to care for something that might not be able to get along without them?
I DON’T KNOW!! But, for one who has long had “horse hair” in my veins, I say “Bless them all”.
Which brings me to this.
There was a recent clinic put on here by Leslie Nichols, a long-time horse professional. She thought through and demonstrated, on a serious basis, horse relationship techniques that opened my eyes to a very simple concept that came as a surprise to me. That is, you can work with your horse teaching them to perform various agility maneuvers by following your signals and generally interacting with you, on line and working towards complete liberty performance. Riding the horse does not even enter the picture. It is not a part of the program. This approach is directed to those who may not be comfortable riding (for reasons too numerous to mention) or to some one who doesn’t feel comfortable on a horse, but feels horse management and understanding is a worthwhile hobby.
Leslie envisions a time when folks, at different stages, will compete against others in a ‘liberty class’ on a broad based competition -- having nothing to do with riding!!
This comes a a great surprise to me. Every act I take up with my horse has to do with his being a better ‘saddle’ horse. This program delivers a different dimension to the picture.
It is a fact that as old age is creeping up on me, I do not have the ‘devil-may-care’ attitude I once had about forking any horse that came along. But, to have the opportunity to help develop the athletic ability of the horse on a one to one basis on the ground may be exciting and fun.
I’ve only touched on what Leslie has put forth in her clinic and I am sure that I haven’t explained it very well. So, if you have any interest in developing a relationship with your horse that leads to liberty ground work, you should contact her. You won’t be disappointed. E-mail: leslienicholshorsemanship@gmail.com or 602-571-7121.
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