Natural Horsemanship

Susan has been enamoured with horses from the time she knew what they were. At the age of 5, she cajoled her doting grandfather into renting a pony for a Montana summer. She recalls a rather uncooperative pinto pony whose greatest talent was jumping the irrigation pipes in the corn patch with her clinging to his back!

Susan lived all over the United States as a child and, everywhere she went, the first thing she found was a neighboring horse to befriend. Her parents gave her the opportunity as a ten year old to learn horsemanship with a member of the Sacramento California Sheriff's Posse. The posse all rode golden palominos with flowing white manes and tails and had fancy silver and black saddles. From Al Root she learned horsemanship from the ground up.

When she was twelve, her family moved to Fair Oaks, then a quiet rural area near Sacramento California. On the acre with a creek, her parents built a house and she was finally able to have a horse of her own! Enter New Moon, a yearling Thoroughbred and Welsh Pony cross. Susan earned half the $115. purchase price through baby sitting and her parents supplied the other half. A green rider and a green horse. Not a great idea, in retrospect, but Susan was thrilled. A horse brought freedom! Now she could roam the countryside bareback on her filly. One favorite activiity was 'falling' off her horse into the mattress of tall green grass in some farmers field. Another hilight was eating fresh almonds from the tree as she rode through the almond groves.

When Susan entered college, New Moon found a new home. Her next horse came with a move to Calgary, Alberta Canada. This horse was also a Thoroughbred. She got Token as a 3 year old and still calls him her partner at the ripe age of 26. Token was never raced, and with Susan he had a varied career as cow horse, dressage horse, trail horse and family pet.

Susan took dressage clinics from several world-class equestrians and participated in dressage shows. She enjoyed the learning part, but not the showing part. Something was missing - it was the sense of fun and communication she had when just hanging out and playing with her horse.

When Susan discovered the teachings of Pat Parelli and his Natural Horsemanship program in 1999, it was the philosophy, techniques and inspiration she had been seeking. She began studying PNH (Parelli Natural Horsemanship) and playing Parelli's 'Seven Games' with Token. Token was twenty and just loved it. Who says you can't teach an old horse new tricks?

Token is now semi-retired on a ranch west of Calgary with a group of senior herdmates. Susan has found new equine friends on the coast. She enjoys leading a horse to new levels of confidence and bravery by communicating with a horse through the language of love and leadership rather than fear, mechanics and intimidation.

Susan has attained Official Level 1 status with Parelli Natural Horsemanship. She is studying Level 2 with Sunny, a friend's gorgeous quarter horse the color of a copper penny, with an quick, agile body and a mind to match!

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