NEW SIGHT

As a new student of Natural Horsemanship, I have been exposed to many foreign and sometimes intimidating concepts. Words like "feel", :balance," and "respect" were never used in the plains of South Dakota where I first learned to ride a horse.

I've learned many important lessons in the past year watching Buck Brannaman and Ray Hunt videos, taking lessons from a long-time student of these two masters, and starting my first horse.

Strangely enough, it was an experience I had with my eye doctor that helped me learn one of the most important lessons about horse nature.

Last summer, as a college graduation gift, my parents generously bought me laser eye surgery to correct my ever-worsening nearsightedness. I was ecstatic with the gift since I had wanted to get the procedure done for a long time.

My happiness turned to apprehension as I was introduced to the procedure. After having anesthetic drops applied to my eyes, the doctor was going to make a horseshoe-shaped incision in the surface of my cornea. The cornea was then going to be pulled back, a laser would be shot into the hole and then the cornea would be returned to its original position. Piece of cake, right?

The day of my surgery arrived, and I calmed myself by telling myself how great it was going to be to wake up in the morning and see what time it was without first searching the nightstand for my glasses. I sat in the waiting room feeling the familiar tug of fear in the bottom of my stomach.

The doctor called my name. I stood up, walking with determination to get this over with. I joked with the nurse as she applied the anesthetic eye drops, talking her into giving me a couple of extra drops "just in case."

I was led to a black leather reclining chair in the center of a darkened room. Several machine hovered nearby ready to perform their duties.

The doctor explained that everything was going to be great, all I had to do was sit still and relax. I think I nodded and mumbled something, my heart beating too loudly for me to really concentrate on what he was saying. Next he attached some apparatus to my eye to prohibit my eyelids from shutting.

This is where the lesson comes in. I am lying in this chair with my eyelids pried open, and the doctor tells me, "I'm going to make the incision now; you'll feel a little pressure."

As he begins to lower something toward my eye, my body starts trying to shut my eyelids so that my eyes are protected. Of course, I can't shut my eyelids so my body starts yelling louder.

In a split second, every cell of my body is screaming, "SHUT YOUR EYELIDS!" I had to really struggle to stay calm; my mind fighting to override my body's instinct to protect itself.

After the surgery was finished, I had a startling revelation. I realized that I had just experienced something very similar to what a horse might experience.

We've all read about the horse's natural instinct to flee danger. Every time we are working with our horses and they get afraid, every cell in their bodies screams "run, run, RUN!" What a miracle it is when they stay with us. For just like me, they must use their minds to override their bodies' instincts for protection.

That, my friend, is why relationship is so important.

They need the relationship with us in order to fight that instinct. The stronger the relationship the easier it is for them. If I hadn't completely trusted my doctor, I would not have been able to sit in that chair and allow him to cut on my eye. But because I did trust him, I now have new sight, not only to see the world when I wake up in the morning but also to better understand the horse.

So, do me a favor. Work less on building performance and more on building a relationship with your horses. Also, the next time your horses are bothered and you're asking them to stay with you, remember my story and what your horses are struggling with. Support them and thank them for fighting against everything just to stay there with you.