“Weaving The Story of Horse and Human”
Blog 12 June 21 2018
“The Path ….of Least Resistance ??”
From ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’:
Alice asked the Cheshire Cat, “Which Path shall I follow?”
The Cheshire Cat answered, “That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”
“By Choosing our path, we choose our destination.” ~Thomas S. Monson
What path? What was a path? Which path?
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Path to? Path where?
“If you do not change direction, you might end up where you are heading.” ~ Lao Tzu
Path why? Path when?
“Just because your path is different doesn’t mean you are lost.”
Even though I am highly educated from a horsemanship skills standpoint, there were still so many ‘paths’ to explore, learn from and embrace. The cowboy’s questions and the previous small requests I had made from Rhett plainly showed me I needed to go looking, researching, exploring and experiencing another path. Perhaps a ‘different path’. (Learning Lesson)
I knew there was no perfect training method. Many good horsemen and women combine ‘methods’, and combine them with things they have learned and developed themselves. I would learn to explore, experiment and question often, so I could learn what was enjoyable and fun for me and Rhett, while still learning. (Language Lesson)
Remember when I was feeling (the below)…. ??
After Rhett showed me the Trust “Secrets”, I began to feel more confident about my observations and awareness.
It helped that I believed that “it is easier to figure out where you are going when you know why you are going there.”
We were just beginning to figure out where we were going. I’m sure the why’s and when’s would become clear with each moment we spent in each others presence.
The Path. The Journey. Two different thoughts.
For me, though we didn’t know it, it was the journey that was to teach me about my destination. For me and Rhett, it was the journey that taught us about our destination.
It seemed, and of course I hoped, the journey would be easy to ‘plot’, easy to ‘maneuver’, easy to ‘plan’. Step by step. Logical. Task oriented.
That’s what I knew. Do A, then B, then C= Ta Da, XYZ!
“The journey was the path to the destination.”
The Universe had other ideas.
“Start us down the right ‘path…the path of least resistance.’ “ Rhett clearly stated.
“The right ‘path’ of what Rhett?”, I asked.
“The path of least resistance. The ‘Path’ shaped in freedom. The ‘Path’ of Autonomy. The ‘Path’ of Liberty. The path that will shape our journey of Trust, Honor and Love.” Rhett said.
Rhett suggested the ‘order’ of the journey – trust, honor and love. The journey was the experience, the communication, the story.
Rhett had to really believe I was trust worthy before anything could/would change. He really had to believe that I was deserving of his faith and ready to accept his thoughts, communications and offers. He made it clear there would be no building confidence in either of us if trust wasn’t in place first. Or at least some level of trust that is progressing forward more than it is falling backwards.
Honor. To hold in high respect; esteem. Distinction, recognition, prestige, importance, privilege, fulfill, observe.
I’m not sure if anyone had every truly ‘honored’ any communication from Rhett. I’m not sure I had really ever ‘honored’ any communication from any horse. I mean, I accepted their feedback and language in response to my requests. But it seemed to always come back to ‘my way or…”. That’s what I knew. That’s what worked. (Language Lesson)
I realized I never really did ‘honor’ that language and communication from the horse. I had never held those reactions and responses to my communication efforts with ‘respect’. With ‘distinction’. With ‘importance’. (Learning Lesson)
Love. I don’t mean the passionate, romantic meaning of ‘love’. I mean the act of caring and giving. Having Rhett’s best interest and wellbeing as a priority on our journey. Allowing Rhett to be open, honest and free. Those were what ‘love’ meant to me.
“Horses see your inner-selves. We see you as you really are. We see no room for ego in our relationship with you . You have to be honest with us and yourself. Trust, honor and love.” Rhett said.
This was a huge life and learning lesson for me and Rhett. (Life and Learning Lesson)
After 3 months of readjusting to life in a herd and feeling more secure in his place in our inner circle, Rhett was ready to begin to share and teach his language. Horse Universal language and communication.
We made a ‘contract’ that communication and requests would be ‘freedom’ shaped at liberty, “the path shaped in freedom”, with safety always being first. The total autonomous choice of staying or going was Rhett’s. He’d never experienced anything quite like this. Neither had I.
Giving Rhett his freedom brought out his desire to connect with me, as his human and trainer, because of the bond….and the journey of trust, honor and love.
When offered in ‘freedom’, this was Rhett’s first feeding event with no assertiveness or aggression to Ricky, my fabulous barn dog.
It was Rhett’s choice to allow Ricky to be in ‘his space’ while he was eating. Freedom.
Freedom. Choice. Liberty. The foundation of trust, honor and love.
The real meaning of liberty for Rhett and I would be defined as:
1. freedom from control, interference, obligation, restriction, hampering conditions, etc.; power or right of doing, thinking, speaking, etc., according to choice. 2. freedom from captivity, confinement, or physical restraint.
“Yes. Liberty. Freedom from social control. Freedom from physical control. Freedom from mental control. Freedom from emotional control. “ Rhett said.
Rhett learns about freedom and choice of space from Sarah.
Freedom of choice. This was the first time Rhett’s feet had been trimmed by my trimmer extraordinaire. The fronts had been done consistently/inconsistently over time I should say, his hind feet had not been trimmed in years.
We would always try and trim Rhett at liberty with no constraint if possible. They have gained trust in each other over the years.
In turn, Rhett taught him to slow down and breathe with the strokes of the rasp.
Liberty was designed to bring horse and human a sense of freedom and safety. One who is ‘at liberty to do something has permission to do it’…or not do it.
“Liberty” would become a cornerstone of my training principles and system. From general horse husbandry skills, overcoming fears and phobias to rehabilitating spirit, mind and body. All would be developed at liberty. In freedom.
Most equestrians call liberty “training a horse to be able to perform tasks without tack”.
That was not my Path of Liberty. That was not Rhett’s path shaped in freedom.
Liberty was our honest path, our true path, our choice path, our foundation of communication and language path. Our authentic, autonomous path.
Beautiful liberty ‘shaped in freedom’ lessons between friends.
“The Path ….of Least Resistance”
“In working with the flow of energy within our being, it needs to be understand is that energy flows in the path of least resistance. In the world of energy, energy, which is allowed to flow freely, flows the path of least resistance for the environment in which it finds itself. In a different environment the energy will flow a different way. There is a natural flow to reality for every situation in which we find ourselves and the natural flow path is the path of least resistance,” ~K. Ferlic
You thought ‘the path’ was going to be something different didn’t you?? ME TOO!! Did you find this chapter ‘all over the place’? ME TOO!! I think it’s our ‘lesson’ carrying over from a previous chapter – Expectations vs Reality. It’s a natural phenomenon!
Do you see your personal lesson(s) in this chapter of the story?
Next: The Foundation – Liberty Shaped in Freedom
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