Patience is Golden Rule
Patience is critical when working with horses. There is no place for temper. Horses are incredibly generous animals who usually want to please. They are herd animals, seeking the alpha leader. I am reminded of this each day as I work with this special stallion, RJ, the star of the Hollywood film Hidalgo (2004). He teaches me important lessons as we learn from each other. Moving from the desert of Southern California to Dutchess County New York has been an adjustment. He is not familiar with crossing muddy streams on trails or galloping through the countryside where we often meet hawks and deer. Although he is curious, these critters are not as strange as the camels he worked with on the set of the film in Morroco. I teach him some basic dressage movements and he is reminding me of sliding stops. Communication is easy if we remain clear in our request and patient in understanding what is desired.