What is Letting Go of Trouble?

Helping horses to let go of trouble is the foundation that Charley's horsemanship is built on. Understanding that this is the goal he's shooting for at all times, can help you have a better understanding of why he does what he does. 

First, it might be helpful to define "trouble". Trouble is worry, tension and/or fear. Some horses come by this naturally- it's a part of who they are. While others pick up trouble along the way from experiences in the pasture and/or in their time with people. 

Letting go of trouble is asking our horses to let go of the thought that's causing the worry, be present with us AND be relaxed. Simple.... but not easy.

Helping our horses let go of trouble (tension/worry/fear) and be present with us is a gift we can give them and ourselves.  The exploration of what it takes to cause this to happen is not an easy one. It will take a clear focus, presence of mind and kindness in our hands and heart. 

As Charley says in the video, "I want his attention, I want him to be mentally present with me, I want him to be alert, but I want him to be relaxed."

Here's a bit more to chew on... An excerpt from a blog post of Charley's titled "If you are not helping your horse overcome his fear, you are feeding it." This post illustrates the importance of taking on the challenge of learning how to help our horses to let go of trouble.

Nearly every horse/rider accident that I have witnessed has been the result of some measure of fear in the horse.

Suffice it to say, we all know that it is a bad feeling and one not welcome in our lives. Horses do not know it is a bad feeling to them in the same way the human knows. However, it is still a bad feeling to them that elicits very unpleasant responses. With fear, the horse always goes into self preservation mode. The extreme, running over a cliff to his own destruction or simply shutting down in a mental escape mode to avoid harm.

Since the horse always associates the movement with the feeling and how he feels determines the effectiveness of what we are trying to show him. If we do not help the horse get over his fear, in whatever way or place it may appear, we are feeding it.

Let me say that again. If we do not help the horse get over his fear, we are feeding it. And, there is always a price to be paid for not teaching him that he can let go of the fearful thought and find peace. That price may be immediate and drastic or chronic and take years to manifest.

We are a lot like the horse in regard to fear. If we cannot or will not deal with it there will eventually be undesirable ramifications in our lives. I do not intend to be simplistic here because fear is an extremely powerful and complex emotion in the human to deal with. But one well worth the effort to overcome no matter how long it takes. And it may take a good while for some.

The horse on the other hand is fairly black and white. Either he is or he isn’t. It depends on the thought he hangs on to and the degree of tenacity he exhibits toward that thought. But, he can be taught with our help to let go of any thought and take another, that produces peace in his life. Hopefully, complete peace, within whatever process we are working with him. Unlike the human however, it does not take but a little while and some help from us to begin the process of finding peace through learning to let go of a thought. To ensure a lasting and ongoing peace for the horse a person must always be present and aware to help him on a moments notice.

Most any horse can be taught to let go of thought and take another relying on us for support if we know what and how to offer it. To put that process down in printed word would be next to impossible. It is something that needs to be demonstrated so that people can actually see the change in a horse.

If you are not helping your horse get over his fear, you are feeding it.

Blessings and Happy Trails,
Charley