Tag Archives: Harry Whitney

Mind the Gap

We get a concept or see something is possible before we have the ability to do it in practice. This is a gap between what we want to do and what we can do. We become more able to replicate what we want to see, and that’s good. However while this is happening, during the closing of the gap between, the understanding begins to creep up with new possibility and we push the bar farther out of what we want to do — always beyond what we are capable of. This is how we keep growing. However, if you’re not careful, you’ll get discouraged because you know what you want to see and it isn’t what is happening.

Path to Vermont Series: Change the way you think

It’s amazing how many endurance miles Khaleesi and I have completed without her having a forward thought. I suppose that reveals how much one can force a horse through on sheer willpower and drive. Early on, I learned a lot about driving horses around. No, I don’t mean in a truck! I mean the energy or force applied to make a horse move away from pressure. To ride any horse on the most basic level, you have to communicate effectively that a horse go forward, and have the horse do so in response. In my experience, most people approach this by driving the horse. The reason this is such a common approach is probably because it is so effective. Yet, I have since learned you can drive a horse forward without the horse having a forward thought, and this is actually a problem!

Adverse Conditions

It was hard not to consider this admitting defeat and total failure. Because that’s exactly what it felt like, and I am not one to admit defeat easily. I told myself years ago I would NOT allow work with my horses to become a win-lose scenario. I am not in this to make my horses into losers.

Mind or Meat

Endurance News Summer Extra just printed this article I wrote, since it’s been officially published I can now share it here for my own readers. Anyone who’s attended an endurance event has heard the conversation with the rider who has the horse that pulls their shoulders out of joint, determined to run at the fastestContinue reading “Mind or Meat”

Freedom Week 2024

Hello Hope Horsemanship Family! I am excited to announce to you first officially the first annual POWERFUL HORSE EXPO during what we’re calling Freedom Week. I have been working toward this event for a couple years now am incredibly excited to see it coming to life July 4-7, 2024. Freedom week is all about helpingContinue reading “Freedom Week 2024”

Kate the mare.

When the time was right, Harry asked the mare to let go of the thoughts that took her away from being present: Be here now he said. Be here now. …When she would momentarily choose to connect he would say: Good for you mare, good for you.

How healing it is to have an experience that changes an understanding, that changes emotions, that changes how I function and respond. What a piece of hope right there at the round pen. 

The motions of emotion

I spent few days with Harry Whitney last week. I hope I will never be the same. I have been to a handful of horsemanship events and clinics ranging in size and popularity and I did not know what to expect from a Harry Whitney clinic. Harry doesn’t have much media out there to getContinue reading “The motions of emotion”