Sharon Preston Horsemanship
Learning to Ride Horses is a JOURNEY Not an EVENT
I opened Rakkan Equestrian Center here in Bend Oregon in April of 1998. Pronounced “Rock On”, Rakkan is the Japanese word for optimism. Since then I have had the wonderful opportunity to teach close to 2000 Central Oregonians how to ride and care for horses. I’ve also trained my fair share of breeds of horses in a 20 year career as a professional trainer and another 20 years prior as an amateur and trainers assistant . My students range in ages from 6 - 85 who take weekly lessons on their own horses or on one of my fantastic string of schooling horses that range from National Champion Dressage horses to seasoned ranch roping horses. Through horsemanship I have developed a unique program that focus on teaching character element skills to the very young riders. My students learn to communicate on a level the horses can recognize, thus taking the students outside of themselves in an altruistic way. I teach my students to continue to work safely within that guideline to respect the horse’s way of thinking. I hone there riding skills and help them become more proficient at handling these magnificent creatures.
I help them to take the focus away from just winning a blue ribbon towards the process of learning with reality based information. The goal can still be to go into the show ring and win the blue ribbon, but the process of preparing also focuses on the reality of how the performance turned out. The amazing feelings about dreaming of the blue ribbon should not be denied, however, the action steps and effort that has to go into reaching that goal cannot be ignored. It is in the process that they grow as a team with their horse. The work an the money spent at the barn by a student with their horse is the only way to manifest their dreams.
Communication with the horse cannot be replaced by the trainer, coach or instructor. The student has to do the work. A lot of families go to buy a horse and see the seller ride the horse for them and think they can instantly take that horse home and ride it just as it was shown. Often they lack the understanding regarding the process the seller went through to create the harmony demonstrated at the time of the sale. They think they can just take it home, pay a trainer to ride it for them, and meet their goal of winning a blue ribbon in 6 months or so at the next big show. The new owner often thinks that magic will “just happen” and doesn’t put out the effort. The learning and bonding process is where it all happens. The magic happens in the work. The love affair happens in the everyday effort the rider puts forth. That’s where harmony and teamwork are created resulting in the reward of a satisfying ride or at times that blue ribbon.
The next time you observe someone else doing really well at what you are passionate about, just realize all the work and time that went into the manifestation of their talents. I see so many families expecting instant gratification. They don’t realize that putting this extreme stress on a premature outcome of the winning or being the best can dampen character building attributes.
The true pay off is in the journey. I teach in building blocks of easily digestible information to successfully bring the student into a positive awareness of accomplishment. This builds a hunger for more positive outcomes from their efforts. They learn to approach the horse with a comprehension beyond words. They learn to develop empathy for and compassion towards the horses way of going. I focus on teaching students to discern the horses negative behaviors and to correct on an equal plane according to the horse’s mind set. Learning the training steps that a horse goes through in his lifetime gives my students a point of reference to go back to that the horse remembers and comprehends. With this knowledge both horse and rider move forward in a mutually successful capacity.
Failure to make progress is just another opportunity to improve. When it comes to horses, perfect practice makes perfect. Horses learn from rewards for correct responses through intensely repetitive suggestion. So perseverance is a must. Along this journey of the process lies great opportunity for character development for the student. Without character the blue ribbon can become the enemy of dreams. I use the horse to help develop trust, respect, responsibility, fairness and caring in my students.
Through natural consequences within highly structured training these character elements are perfected. I passionately believe that my unique methods give the opportunity for personal growth. With a safe and well-maintained facility o highly trained horses a student can realize their dreams, and have a whole lot of fun in the process.
Join me, Sharon Preston Horsemanship
“Where empowerment replaces fear and knowledge creates options.
Learn to ride horses and unlock your inner strength.”
Sharon Preston Horsemanship
Passion and Restraint
Goals in life are what keeps us going every day. The desire to get fit, eat right, be to work on time, do our very best at all we do so that we may be successful.
Horses are this way too. They too have goals every day to eat and do their best to survive.
We all need motivation to do all of these things. Horses are motivated by hunger, thirst and the need to be free. They also are very social and want to be close to their herd mates and even to you.
Motivation to attain these goals comes from two places. External motivation and internal motivation.
External motivation comes from a place of consequence and risk. We follow the rules with “restraint” for fear of the consequence. But sometimes the risk is worth the consequence. We usually bounce up really close to the consequence especially when our needs are not being met or that we feel we are being slighted in any way. Both horse and human have a strong desire to be free and will sometimes break the rules and risk consequence in an attempt to alleviate some of the constraints that life has put upon us or that we have put upon ourselves. Horses fear the relationship with you will lose balance if they buck or bit you and they know through correct training what the consequence of their actions could mean. We both become very creative in ways of excuses, resistance and deeds to bounce around this box that our external motivation puts us in. Our actions within this box may not be genuine but they serve the greater good. Albeit law, health, community, providing for your family and even your religion, these are all necessary for the good of society and maintaining balanced relationships within.
Internal motivation comes from a place of “passion” and desire. The intense unrelenting want of something will drive both horse and human to extraordinary feats. Our minds will create actions that feel as if they are coming from the very depths of our souls. They will come to us in dreams, in places of beauty, in the smell of the seasons, from the sound of a child laughing, from the look of a majestic horse standing free and wild in the Ochoco National Forests of Oregon. Internal motivation is powerful and lasting. We feed this with the multitudes of actions to feel the rush of adrenalin and to manifest our desires. We go off course in an attempt to try new avenues towards our goal only to find that we needed to stay on our own true path. But we gather knowledge all along the way which enables us to make educated decisions with laser precision the next time. We learn, we get better and we press on. We are driven to succeed from our hearts with the love coming forth from it.
Horses are not heartless. They too have passion and love in their hearts. They will share it with you if you learn to speak their language. They can help you find your true path. They can bring out the best of you through the relationship you forge with them. Fears will come up in you you’d long forgotten about or didn’t even know you had. Communication errors and the lack to respond appropriately to bad or good behavior from the horse will definitely help you to become a better team leader, parent, teacher and friend. Your awareness in all areas will be heightened just by being around these magnificent creatures we call HORSE.
Learning all about horses is a great adventure. It is a process and not an event. Enjoy the process from wherever you are, whatever level you stand today. Move forward with passion and restraint. Success is just around the corner on the path that you have made for yourself through the multitude of action steps you‘ve taken to manifest your dreams.
Join me, Sharon Preston Horsemanship
“Where empowerment replaces fear and knowledge creates options.
Learn to ride horses and unlock your inner strength.”
