Good Horsemanship

I have chosen to follow the Natural Horsemanship route, but this does not mean I think it is the only way to work with horses. Good horsemen are just that, natural, traditional or eccentric, male or female, horsemanship is a global skill.

The Samaurai mounted archers, native americans, Dublin's street children, cowboys, Camarguais guardiens, Afghan polo players and South American gauchos share a skill that is expressed in so many different ways.

Gary Witheford taught me loads, as have Chris Cook and Neil Blythman, one of my earliest customers. Indeed all my customers have taught me, as have their ponies. Good horsemanship is the ability to work sympathetically with a horse.

Different disciplines use different levels of equipment and require different levels of control. Dressage and Polo are obvious examples. Saddlechariot horsemanship is not
Carriage Driving horsemanship any more than Carriage Driving horsemanship is Flat Racing horsemanship.

Saddlechariot horsemanship is modern horsemanship, a leisure pursuit where the pony has as much right to enjoy itself as its owner. If I was using Henry to get coal out of a mine or to shift my farm produce to market, then he will share my suffering. If I am hungry and tired and thirsty, he will be. If I have calluses from unremitting labour, so will he. But since I am out to enjoy myself, look at the scenery, meet people and get a bit of gentle exercise, we go out bitless, blinkerless, whipless so Henry can enjoy the view, find people to scratch his ears, chose his own pace (within reason) and practice his canter to graze transitions.

On occasion Henry decides to cut loose for a gallop, and if I agree it is suitable terrain, we let rip. It is the best fun you can have, but those who have seen my demonstrations are well aware that Henry chooses the pace. In the past I have used a whip, but Henry doesn't really approve, and consequently doesn't speed up. To the competitive Carriage driver, this casual concensus on speed, direction and pretty well everything else, is not going to win prizes, but we aren't competing, we are just out having fun.