Learning to Ride Horses is a JOURNEY Not an EVENT

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.”