Books on Horsemanship - Xenophon Had it Right
Xenophon was a 4th Century BC Greek cavalry officer and military hero, student of Socrates, historian, author, and expert on horsemanship - a man of many talents. His horsemanship writings addressed the proper care of the horse, how to choose a horse, and the training of the war horse. I don't propose that his writings on horsemanship be required reading for the horse lover, but you'll find many nuggets of solid and fundamental advice therein. We can relate more to what Pat Parelli, John Lyons, Cherry Hill, Buck Brannamen, Ray Hunt or other contemporary trainers have to say. But Parelli, Lyons and the others will certainly give a tip of their hats to Xenophon and acknowledge the debt owed to him by all who have followed him. What makes Xenophon's work so special and timeless? If nothing else it's because what he had to say is built upon his love for the horse and his strong belief that the horse's mind in many ways parallels the human mind. You can take Xenophon's teachings and distill them into a few "commandments" which, if you keep them in mind will take you a long ways in working with a horse Temperament - A fundamental principle of his teaching is "never show anger to the horse". If we can keep that in mind we avoid many of the problems with horses which we in reality often bring upon ourselves. Our youngest Fjord gelding, Lars, is a wonderful animal who has a stubborn streak (Norwegian background I guess). I find myself smiling at him through clenched teeth on occasion and have learned that anger on my part either produces zero results or simply makes a touchy situation worse. Anger does not work, nor does force. Xenophon taught that horses, like people, respond poorly to force. We will do things when forced, but not necessarily do those things well - at best enough to "get by". A horse doing something under force does so without understanding and it is fundamental in teaching the horse that the horse understands. The use of force is almost always counterproductive when the horse is in a situation in which it is afraid of something. If the horse is afraid of an object, such as a mailbox by the side of a road ( been through that one), you need to either avoid the object or slowly work the horse in closer proximity to it. Anger, force or punishment will only reinforce the horse's fear. It now associates the bad things you're doing with the object, compounding its fear. We learn this when first placing a bridle on a horse. Trying to force it on the horse only makes it that much more difficult the next time. Trust and Care - Xenophon insists that a horse be well cared for including food, grooming, proper and clean quarters, and attention. While it was the custom back in his time that training be done by a groom, Xenophon insisted that the owner visit the horse daily to ensure it's welfare and as a means of building trust for the time when owner and horse will become "partners". My favorite riding horse comes to me instead of running away when she sees the halter in my hand. She associates the halter with grooming, a bit of grain, or exercise and perhaps a good ride. I don't have to chase her around the pasture which would be the case I'm sure if she received rough treatment. Even Lars comes to the halter, which means I have done a good job with anger management when he experiences a stubborn streak. We are indeed "partners". Riding - Xenophon taught that the horse should be mounted slowly and the rider should be able to do so from either side. The horse should be encouraged to carry it's head properly and once that is accomplished to proceed with a loose rein. To quote from Xenophon: "If you teach the horse to go with a slack bridle, to hold his neck up and to arch it towards the head, you will
cause the horse to do the very things in which he himself delights and takes the greatest pleasure. A proof that he delights in them is that whenever he himself chooses to show off before horses, and especially
before mares, he raises his neck highest and arches his head most,looking fierce; he lifts his legs freely off the ground and tosses his tail up. Whenever, therefore, you induce him to carry himself in the attitudes he naturally assumes when he is most anxious to display his beauty, you make him look as though he took pleasure in being ridden, and give him a noble, fierce, and attractive appearance". Now Xenophon was primarily introducing novice horsemen to the purchase, care and training of the war horse. But with the exception of some "battlefield" training exercises, nearly everything in The Art of Horsemanship applies to our relationship with horses in this day and age. Xenophon assumed zero experience on the part of his audience and, like a good teacher will do, heavily stressed the fundamentals. If you're looking for a book, video or DVD on some aspect of horsemanship or training and have the luxury of being able to review the item in advance, try to see where the author is setting the foundation of his or her work. Is there an underlying theme based upon a few basic principles or beliefs? You'll certainly find this in anything published by Parelli, Lyons, or Hempfling to name three. And if you want to explore the world of Xenophon further several sources are - Life and Writings of Xenophon from The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy at http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/x/xenophon.htm His work on the Art of Horsemanship is nicely summed up at
http://www.d.umn.edu/~ebrownin/Xenophonpaper.htm, and, http://angelsfall.eshire.net/horse/onhorsemanship.htm For a scholarly translation of The Art of Horsemanship, sometimes difficult to read but written in great detail - http://emotionalliteracyeducation.com/classic_books_online/hrsmn10.htm You'll get a thumbnail sketch from - http://emotionalliteracyeducation.com/classic_books_online/hrsmn10.htm and at the same time be introduced to a fine Internet reference source - Wikipedia; their main page is - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Copyright � 2005 W. Savage. All Rights Reserved. William "Bill" Savage, a retired, engineer lives on the Goose Bay Ranch in Montana where he spends time with family, horses, and his web site. You can read other articles of his including those on horsemanship on his web site http://www.your-guide-to-gifts-for-horse-lovers.com
Related News
Moahi is dean of faculty of humanities - Mmegi Online
Moahi is dean of faculty of humanitiesMmegi Online, Botswana -Jul 15, 2008The University of Botswana has appointed Dr Kgomotso Moahi as the new Dean of the Faculty of Humanities. Dr Moahi who has been Head of the Department of ... |
MHS humanities students cross the pond - Star Community Newspapers
Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture renames its Summer ... - Dallas Morning News
Logan's humanities chairman dead at 62 - The Southern
Logan's humanities chairman dead at 62The Southern, IL -Jul 17, 2008Montaño, John A. Logan College professor and chairman of the Humanities Department, died in his home Tuesday. Montaño, 62, was born in Tumaco, Colombia. ... |
Nevada Humanities accepting nominations and applications for board ... - UNR NevadaNews
Hi-tech deluge - Hindu
Hindu |
Hi-tech delugeHindu, India -18 hours agoAnother academic year has started in the senior secondary schools and junior colleges in Andhra Pradesh without the humanities stream being offered to ... |
The Princeton Bamboo Workshop - Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription)
The Princeton Bamboo WorkshopChronicle of Higher Education (subscription) -Jul 18, 2008It was a diverse and quite remarkable group of humanities scholars, librarians, IT specialists, and others concerned with arts and humanities research (and, ... |
Overuse of metrics to judge research criticised - guardian.co.uk
Humanities Cyberinfrastructure: Project Bamboo - Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription)
Humanities Cyberinfrastructure: Project BambooChronicle of Higher Education (subscription) -Jul 17, 2008The term was put into play by the Atkins report on cyberinfrastructure for science and engineering, and extended to the humanities a couple of years ago by ... |
Birnbaum named to Foundation for Humanities board - Brookline TAB
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
What is Your Birthstone?
Just about everyone knows what his or her birthstone is.
Why is that? Because people still enjoy the folklore associated with the tradition of the birthstone. They like believing that wearing a birthstone brings them good luck and protects them.
Medieval Siege Weaponry: Castle Walls Beware
Medieval siege weaponry was required in any self-respecting war leader's arsenal in a time when castles with thick defense walls were common and cities surrounded by large, fortified walls were not out of place.
To Quote or Not to Quote
"By necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote."
Quotation and Originality 1876 Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
American poet and essayist
Heraldry in the Crafts--Why Not Specialize?
I have a small website where I try to sell custom-made lapel buttons. In addition to these made-to-order buttons I also offer several specialty lines of off-the-shelf items and at this time of year I'm usually concerned with one of those lines in particular: Irish heraldic buttons. St. Patrick's Day approaches.
Conceptual Art: Who Appreciates It?
Art is sometimes overwhelming. Life as a whole can become overwhelming, and at times I do find myself caught up in its whirlwind of drama. Being the person that I am, being faced with it, I tend to question the things that I don't understand, and sometimes I questions the things I understand the most, the things that I am certain of the most, like art.
The New Age Movement
New Age - A Paradigm Shift to Divine Consciousness & a Universal Philosophy
Are You Embarassed by Your Civil War Uniform Impression?
"Authentic," "authentic," "authentic" is all you hear if you are new or a hard core reenactor. You look all over to find period Civil War Uniform articles. But when you finally get them, do you feel like you know what to do with them?
Humans are not special, hate to break it to you
I hate to break it to you, but humans are not all that special really. I laugh at the self importance humans place on this species as if some how they are better, more evolved or the divine work and special project of a God. There is actually not a single piece of evidence for that. We see the same general characteristics we see in humans in house pets, primates, birds and even fish. Yes, indeed we have a larger brain and the point is? Few humans bother to use its potential. Now that I have offended every human on the planet, let me recommend a book to you:
Native American Indian Art Wood Carvings of the Pacific Northwest
Native American Indian art in the American southwest is dominated by the magnificent pottery and jewelry in the region. When it comes to the Pacific Northwest region which covers the states of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia (Canada) and the southern part of Alaska, the Native American art here is mostly wood carvings. This is not surprising since unlike the southwest desert, the Pacific Northwest is abundant with forests which have provided the wood as raw material for the region's Native American Indian art.
How to Create a Multi-Artistic Piece (Article 1 of 2)
In the late 19th century the music world was graced by an artist who would push the boundaries of music and art. Richard Wagner laid the foundation for performance art. Wagner combined several art forms into a cohesive unit. One of the primary elements that Wagner would use to create this holistic creation was music, which was the driving force for many of his pieces. But he incorporated other media such as scenic design, costumes, and intricate themes. The themes of many of his operas explored love between people and were at times expressed through mythical elements.
The Different Styles of Inuit Sculptures
At first, all Inuit soapstone sculptures from the Arctic may look alike. However, there are variances in artistic styles among the different Inuit art producing communities. Although all communities produce Inuit sculptures featuring both animal and human subjects, some seem to do more animals while others do more people figures. Some communities make their subjects appear quite realistic with lots of high detail while in others, a more crude and primitive look is preferred. There are Inuit sculptures that have a highly polished finishes and some that are the complete opposite where they are left dull and unpolished.
On Being Human
Are we human because of unique traits and attributes not shared with either animal or machine? The definition of "human" is circular: we are human by virtue of the properties that make us human (i.e., distinct from animal and machine). It is a definition by negation: that which separates us from animal and machine is our "human-ness".
Precious Stones - The Big Five: Part 2, The Ruby
What fairy tales of enchanted princesses and legendary lore of the Arabian Nights does not the mere mention of the ruby conjure up to our imagination! No stone has been more intimately connected with poetry and romance, and few gems can compare either in beauty or value with a perfect ruby. When Solomon exclaimed that "a virtuous woman was more valuable than rubies," and Job, that "the price of wisdom is above rubies," they both mentioned what to them was the most valuable thing in existence. And its value and rarity have not decreased since their time. Today a perfect ruby of five carats will fetch at least five times the value of a diamond of the same size and quality, while rubies without flaw or blemish, and of the true pigeon-blood variety, weighing as much as ten carats, are so rare and valuable that ten times the value of a perfect diamond would be considered a very low price to pay for so perfect a gem.
Timbuktu and Brotherhood Too
Juba II in America:
Zorro
ZORRO:Timon of Athens. But most often they wrote in code or refused to write at all. They actually taught through techniques and disciplines which made people truly know what can be and how to become adept as individuated parts of the collective or 'nous'.
Chinese Zodiac Signs
Each Chinese New Year begins on the day of first new moon. In the western year 2005, the new moon began on February 9. It was the Chinese year 4702. In actuality, most Chinese began using the western, or solar, calendar in the early twentieth century, except on important holidays. Many of the calendars in China show both the solar dates of the western calendar and the lunar dates of the Chinese calendar. Chinese astrology is based on the twelve cycles of the moon.
The Chinese zodiac consists of twelve animals, rather than the solar signs used in the west. In the Chinese calendar each period lasts for a full cycle of the moon, from new to full. There are twelve complete lunar cycles in a Chinese zodiac year, but one animal symbolizes the entire year. According to their calendar, the Chinese complete a cycle every twelve years. So if you were born in the year of the rat, you would celebrate your zodiac birthday every twelve years, and your Chinese zodiac sign would be the rat. In the west your astrological sign appears once each year.
The calendar and its animals were created from an ancient legend. It tells us that the animals were all fighting about who was going to be in the prime (first) position on the Chinese calendar. The gods devised a test in which the animals would compete for their position by swimming across a river. Another version says that the Buddha requested visits by the animals before he left earth. He named the moon cycles after the animals in order of appearance. So the Chinese zodiac symbol is a circle divided into twelve equal sections; think of it as if you were marking off slices of a pie. There is a picture of the animal representing that Chinese zodiac sign in each section. The calendar's use dates clear back to 2600 BC.
The animals used in Chinese astrology are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and boar (pig). Persons born during their cycle are said to take on their animal traits:
Rat- Perfectionist, charming, aggressive, secretive, party-loving, quick-witted, stubborn, good at politics and business, can be mean
Ox- Quiet, quick to anger, excellent memories, hard-working, family loyalty, creative, skilful hands, responsible, self-confident
Tiger- Leaders, courageous, territorial, possessive, fighters, generous and selfish, magnetic, passionate, works solo, dynamic
Rabbit- Sweet-natured, conservative, artistic, tasteful, sentimental, emotional, shy, faithful to partners, romantic, avoid fighting
Dragon- Regal, leader, centre of attention, powerful, lucky, aggressive, dynamic, big ego, snobbish, tyrannical
Snake- Charming, popular, lies easily, possessive, hates rejection, deep thinker, well-mannered, lazy, romantic, insecure
Horse- Crowd lover, rebellious, energetic, selfish, self-centered, good with money, cunning, lacks self-confidence
Sheep or goat- Artistic, creative, lazy, disorganized, charming, well-mannered, dreamy, pessimistic, romantic, worrier, not good in business
Monkey- Charming, witty, clever, emotional, unscrupulous, love food but not gluttons, deceptive, funny, lucky
Rooster- Straight-forward, honest, flashy dresser, loyal, honest, dreamer, psychic, busy, loves a bargain, observers
Dog- Traditional, loyal, sincere, intelligent, private, judgmental, serious, anxious, likes solitude, champions causes
Pig or boar- Loving, caring, chivalrous, sincere, honourable, easy to take advantage of, belief in goodness, love food, romantic, jealous
A Short Biography on Some of Europes Most Loved and Hated Monarchs - Pt2 (Mad) King George III
King George III who suffered from porphyria, a maddening disease, was born in 1738 to Frederick, Prince of Wales and Augusta. In 1761 George married Charlotte of Mecklinburg-Strelitz and together produced fifteen children: nine sons and six daughters.
Family, Incest, and Law
Family Values in Ancient Times:
Moissanite Earrings, The Modern Brazilian Beetle
The history of earrings is a varied history indeed. And the latest in the long line of female body adornments known as earrings are Moissanite earrings. Moissanite is taking the jewelry world by storm and moissanite earrings are no exception.
The Dating Game
Lord Renfrew, Disney Professor of Archaeology at Cambridge University states:
"Archaeologists all over the world have realized that much of prehistory, as written in the existing textbooks, is inadequate. Some is quite simply wrong. What has come as a considerable shock, a development hardly foreseeable just a few years ago, is that prehistory, as we have learnt it is based upon several assumptions which can no longer be accepted as valid.."
|
