“When I first started with horses I really didn’t start at square one. It was more like ground ZERO. I knew nothing, and even many of the beginner’s books that I sought advice from might as well have been in hieroglyphs. The most frustrating thing was of course trying to do something with a horse while the horse was doing just about anything but what I had in mind.

The only thing more frustrating was the counsel that I generally received in those situations. “Make that horse do it! Take control! Be the boss!” Sounds familiar? I’m sure most of us have heard it. More often than not my reply would be “How?” only to be told something along the lines of “By taking charge and being in control!” Sometimes I’d still lay awake at night, trying to figure out now what in the world that was supposed to mean.

Although my riding and horsemanship did get a little better over time, it remained a mystery to me how one is supposed to take control from a 1000 pound animal, who has made other plans. It wasn’t until I started learning from Pony, using his techniques and watching my feisty little mustang turn into a wonderful companion, that I realized - you can’t TAKE control from a horse - or anyone for that matter, because TRUE control is not something to be taken. It HAS TO BE GIVEN! It has to be EARNED!

One day every horse in the pasture spooked and ran for it. My horse and I had been hanging out and cuddling. Leaning slightly into my horse‘s shoulder I quickly jumped aside and out of her way, fairly certain that she would spook, jump and run as well. I was partially right. She spooked and jumped. But she jumped right behind where I had jumped. She didn’t run. She was standing there - tense, worried and focused on me – both eyes, ears, everything about her turning to me for advice in this scary situation. As I was looking at the other horses still making a run for the far end of the pasture, I was deeply moved. It was in this moment that I knew – I had finally been given true respect, real trust and with that - control.

The most valuable thing I have learned as a direct result of studying with Pony is how to talk with my horse, to understand what she’s saying, and to make myself heard. This doesn’t mean we always agree on everything, but it means having the skills and tools to “talk things over” until they’re resolved. Being able to communicate with my horse on her level has brought us closer than I would have ever hoped for. It has gained me respect, trust, control and as a result safety, which makes being with horses nothing but amazing. “