Yesterday, we jumped into a conversation around learning that centered around the fear of ruining your horse. If you missed that and want to have a read of it, you can check it out on my blog here.
Continuing on from that, I think it’s really easy to fall into the trap of assuming fragility in our horses. Assumed fragility is when you go into a training situation or interaction with your horse with the mindset that any discrepancy, mistake, or bad juju on your part is going to make them crumble and dissolve.
Are horses tuned into us and constantly reading us? Without a doubt. But assuming that we are the be-all and end-all to their strength and possibilities is a very patronizing and demeaning position to take.
Being in life means that imperfection is guaranteed. I’m not always going to show up as my best self, even if I try. But I am going to come into partnership with my horse assuming his or her strength and robustness; that within a relatively normal window of expectation, they can handle me and my quirky ways and I can handle theirs.
In many situations, we just aren’t giving our horses enough credit.
Progressing together means allowing for your weaknesses as well as your strengths and recognizing both. It means that for as long as you stay observant and proactively adjust your actions as a consequence, you will only ever be moving in the right direction.
Assume robustness, not fragility.
Onwards.
