To Say Farewell to Disrespect . . . Say Farewell to Disrespect
The appy lady clearly connected with the thoroughbred parallel, but remained stuck in her strife against her own mare, reiterating the story once more about how disrespectful she was. She just needed to say it again was all, in a bid to offload the weight anyone might experience in what felt to her like a personal attack from her mare.
It was time to start the session. Some stood up to clear the table. The appy lady remained seated, across from me, as if struggling with the ‘eject’ button for the’ bad egg story’ about her mare. “She is a good horse, I know she is a good horse” she said. “I always focus on the good in her”. I couldn’t help thinking of how she had offered the mare up for the demo seconds after I arrived, announcing her as the sure winner of the ‘bad egg’ award. I had hoped this was just an expression of nerves, had just smiled and replied that I didn’t have such an award, and left it there. “Well she’s an appy… and a mare!” she had persisted. “Well, what do you expect!” a friend had chimed in, meaning to offer support. One might think she meant there was no hope for them. Then again, there she was, signed up for their first clinic.
At any rate, the words she used now were leading to the right place. I offered quietly that if she could make the jump and switch tracks, she had a real opportunity to launch to a different spot with her mare that day. “I realize I haven’t even seen her yet, but I am willing to bet she is seeking to work with you, not against you”.
Bill Dorrance is adamant that it is in a horse’s nature to get along. I believe this too, though it can be challenging at times to see past the illusion. It’s a bit like Alice Through the Looking Glass, where everything is opposite, until you realize it’s just a strange sort of dream. Then you wake up and see that it is just as Bill said.