Horses... Naturally! » Centered Riding tm

On the passing of Sally Swift…

naturalhorsetrainer — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 04:39:15 +0000

Â My wife, Kirsten, regards her.. and has since she was 13… as one of her pivotal mentors in natural horsemanship. When Kirsten learned that Sally had passed, she was devastated, yet inspired. We’ll have a post coming soon. But for now, we just acknowledge her passing with grief and wish her much happiness, joy, and peace in her new life and a deep and abiding respect for the profound effect she has made in in so many lives. She will be missed and remembered…

… she will Inspire.

In love and respect,

Mark & Kirsten

Gift From A Horse

naturalhorsetrainer — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:31:03 +0000

Like any young horse in training, Wally the Warmblood has his good days. He has his not-so-good days and he has those frustrating, tear-out-your-hair days when he seems to forget how to put one foot in front of the other, much less do so with suppleness, impulsion and cheerful submission.

Today was like no other. It had been a knock-down drag-out day full of time-consuming roadblocks and way too many balls in the air. And that was just in the office! Wally was the last horse of the evening after working through a particularly tough trailer loading session with a two year-old.

Wally was matter-of-fact from the get-go. Quiet brilliance. Stood like a rock while I mounted. Warm-up. Focus. Turn on the forehand– rhythmic and accurate. Turn on the haunches–ditto. Up into a round, light trot, every step a lesson in newly-developed power controlled not by the rider’s seat or legs or bit but by the horse’s own understanding and desire. Canter balanced, regular, even on that troublesome lead. All the movements and principles we’ve been developing coming together in a moment almost outside time.

Nothing left but to ride out to join the sunset in the spring blooming woods with deep gratitude for the gifts our horses give us.

New Horse for Training. The More Things Change…

naturalhorsetrainer — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 19:26:25 +0000

…The more they stay the same. Wally the warmblood arrived safe and sound for 6 months or so of training board while his owner is out of the country. His owner’s goals: use Centered riding, natural horsemanship and classical training principles to develop the four-year old Oldenburg into a competitive dressage horse.

I first met Wally the warmblood’s owner, Jeannie, when she was about 10. I had known her mother, Karen, years ago: she boarded a horse at the training farm where I was teenage barn rat. Karen moved her horse and had a child, Jeannie. I grew up to be a horse trainer and riding instructor. Jeannie proved to be as horse crazy as her mother, and started taking horse riding lessons with me.

Jeannie became as addicted to horses as the rest of us. She started out half-leasing a horse from a boarder, then as time went on and her commitment grew, she found a horse of her own. SinJin was a black Thoroughbred, an ex-show jumper. I coached Jeannie and Sinny for years, up through the ranks of Pony Club and through the adventures of 3-day eventing and polocrosse until I moved from CT 8 years ago.

Jeannie is no longer a barn rat but a powerful woman impacting the world. SinJin went to a retirement farm, and Wally, the gawky four-year old, steps into his role.

Generations of horse women and the horses they adore. A legacy of love and learning. When people sign up for riding lessons, little do they know the door is opening to a whole new world, a world that transcends even time.