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.”