Howdy! I’d like to take some space here
and share with you some of my beliefs and feelings about life. If you
are going to spend time with me you probably want to know before hand
a bit about what to expect. Your time is a precious commodity and you
naturally want to spend it where it will do you the most good.
An instructor needs to have a great
enthusiasm for teaching and for watching students excel and achieve.
It is humbling to realize that people are sharing their time, money
and life with me for a short while and it helps motivate me to give
them as much as I can in the time we have together. That means
constantly learning and growing so that there is more and more to
share with those people.
Because the time
is short I keep classes
very small—seldom more
than 4 students per class—so that you as a student get plenty of
my time and concern and
we address your personal riding concerns. I can work with you in a
relaxed, individual relationship so that you feel free to ask
questions and I can help you search for answers and explore
alternatives. The more options you have to take home with you the
more successful I have been as a teacher.
wind mill Sand Hill of Nebraska, Gordon Family Ranch.
Whenever I am building something, be it
a house, tack shed or corral I want the foundation to be the strongest
and best I can make it. Upon that base will depend the stability of
all the other components. With the horse this foundation is achieved
through correct groundwork. Before the horse is ever ridden we have
prepared the foundation for the solid, gentle, well-trained mount that
is supple in both mind and body.
It is a thrill when the horse is a
partner with me in my cowboying, when it has as much enthusiasm and
enjoyment for the work as I do. I love to see a horse that shows his
willingness to work in an expression of confidence and happiness that
says, “Pick me, I’m ready!” Kind of like the school kid that is
waving her hand and bouncing in her chair to get the teacher’s
attention. At the same time I want to help the human gain in
confidence and expertise and learn
how to teach their horse
to be a partner and enjoy its work, be it trail riding, dressage,
jumping, cutting, roping—whatever!
That well-worn word synergy describes an
exciting condition when two people combine their ideas and abilities
and reach a degree of success that neither could attain as
individuals. I believe that the horse was created to be a partner to
man and that together horse and rider can have this synergy, this
sense of accomplishment. That, to me, is what horsemanship is about:
human and horse coming together as partners to accomplish what neither
could do individually. The horse gives the human so much more power,
agility, speed and freedom, and the rider can unlock the potential
latent within the horse and help it become more confident, more
useful, more free and happy within itself.
An unknown sage once said, “Don’t learn
the tricks of the trade. Learn the tools of the trade.” My job as an
instructor is to be able to help you break information down into
understandable and manageable portions that make sense and lead you to
find those tools and make them your own. They should become life
skills as well as horsemanship tools—skills that enrich you as a human
being. Whether you ride for pleasure or work, rope or show in
dressage, my job is to help you remain enthused and confident and able
to handle challenges as they arise without getting lost or confused.
Folks come to the school for many
reasons with varied backgrounds and skill levels and we work with them
where they are at the time. One student may have as their goal for
the week to trot for the first time, or to get the confidence to lope,
and it is a thrill to see them riding their horse without fear,
knowing they are in control of the situation. Another person may be
riding cross country or working cattle for the first time, while
another, with years of riding experience may be roping cattle for
doctoring or branding. It is so rewarding to share their sense of
accomplishment and know they will be taking home skills that will
allow them to continue to make progress on their own.
That feeling is what teaching is all
about, and here at Cowboy School I get the thrill of that feeling on a
daily basis. What a great job to have! I look forward to working with
you and sharing that thrill here at Cowboy School.
