When
I was a young girl, I didn't just want to have a horse, I wanted to be
a horse. When I realized I was human (and couldn't change that) I
decided I would be a jockey. I started riding at age four, bareback in
the Santa Monica Mountains of California, with a wonderful, gorgeous,
barefoot amazon my parents found to teach me to ride. Her name was
Anitra. Then
I turned eight, and I was already too tall to make it as a race
jockey, so
I looked for something more I could do with horses besides just
trail-ride, and I fell in love with the idea of dancing with horses,
with Dressage.
My experience as a student of Dressage was full of ups
and downs, and at about eleven I noticed the horses didn't seem to enjoy
the lessons as much as I did. In fact,
the worst part of the lesson was going out to catch the horses - they
would walk away, pin their ears, and turn their tails to me... I questioned the
instructors, and wasn't satisfied with the answers: "Crabby old mare;
that one will do anything to get out of work; careful, that one is a
kicker...."
Something just didn't feel
right about those answers, and a similar feeling surrounded the techniques of kicking the horses, making them work, pulling them up with the reins and bit, not letting them win... I became a little confused, were we engaged in a battle? Riding was supposed to be fun and magical! The feeling of wrongness stuck with me until I gave up
dressage lessons in my teenage years and just played with my horse and
went trail riding.
In college, once I realized I wasn't going to stay
sane if I wasn't working with horses, I switched my major (again) and was required to enter a riding lesson
program, as part of my studies. The odd feeling returned - I
was riding top quality horses, getting world-class instruction, and "improving," but not
enjoying it as I once imagined I would.
Lessons became work where I had
to deal with lazy horses, heavy horses, tired horses, horses who couldn't stand still, mean horses, crazy
horses... my best ride back then was on a mare who had to be cross-tied to be
groomed and saddled, because she would literally try to kill you with
teeth and hooves if you approached her with tack and she was loose! I recognized that there was something inherently wrong with that, but sadly it took me years to figure it out: she simply didn't like me, and she didn't like her life as a school horse! Wow. I loved her, as I love all horses, but this horse did not love me back.
This was a revelation, but what to do? It's not as though I could turn her loose and let her be free... It's not as though people are going to stop riding. I remember my childhood horse being happy to see me, happy to go on rides... Why?
What was different about these two horses? How could I tell the difference, and most importantly, what could be done about it? How could I get these horses to love me and love their work? I began my greatest search for the answers to these simple questions. Meanwhile, I was traveling throughout the US and Europe, working as an eventing and dressage groom, training horses and teaching people to ride.
As an instructor, I started working with clients and volunteers at a Therapeutic
Riding Stable in northern California, where I volunteered for more than
eight years. After continuing my education with studies in dressage,
jumping, and eventing, I finally discovered Natural Horsemanship, which totally
changed the way I approach riding and horses in general. One of my central goals now is to have the horses enjoy the training as much as I enjoy riding! Another of my goals is to introduce this natural way of understanding horses to horse-crazy kids, horse-loving adults, and professional equestrian competitors who are just like I was; looking for another way.
The answers I've found led me to create Holistic Horse Development, a concept perfectly complemented and neatly completed by the core inclusion of Rayou A'Nalu Dressage - a new take on classical instruction developed in partnership with my esteemed colleague and favorite dressage instructor, Saskia Martin.
In these years of study, I have found many answers, and discovered many new questions to ask. I am still a student of the horse, and will always be. Holistic Horse Development is a program designed to strengthen the foundations of a horse-human relationship, encourage students to ask questions (as many as you can!), and give students the tools and confidence to find their own answers.
I have had more fun in the years I have been practicing Natural
Horsemanship than I ever managed to in all my previous riding life, and
equally important, my horses are relaxed and are having as much fun as I
am! I am excited to apply this knowledge through the Holistic Horse Development program to help dressage riders and
enthusiasts achieve lightness and relaxation in themselves and in their
horses.
- Alissa -
