Round Pen Musings

The round pen is the place where most of us should begin with our horses.  It is a space that creates the most opportunity for us to connect because it is where there are limitless opportunities to do so; literally, the circle is infinite.  There are no dead ends or corners to get stuck in.  There are no angles to navigate…I sense a metaphor coming!  Seriously though, the enormous potential for operating in this type of space, literally or figuratively, is very provocative.  When working with our horse in the round pen, these are the principle truths:

1. There is no place for limiting beliefs to hide; all our stuff will be exposed to our horse, on full display, in all of its glory.  And, that’s ok.  In fact, it is in that awareness where we can truly begin to tune in, fully present.

1.  There is always another chance to get it right; if we miss our timing, or miscommunication occurs, we can go back to the center and try again.  When in doubt, just breathe, then go back to the center.

1. Our horse will try their best to tell us how close or how far away we are to getting it right.

1.  Our horse will mirror to us what they are receiving from us, the good, the bad, and the ugly, which may feel hard, even painful sometimes. Of course, that’s where profound realization and transformation will happen.  Within the hard stuff is where the magic will occur. 

You can do hard things!

Remember:  Our horses’ strongest instinct is for self-preservation, meaning they will first and foremost always seek safety, then comfort, and then care.  Together, these are the trifecta that cultivates all connection with our horses.  Our ability to convey that we are able to offer the trifecta to our horses is best practiced in the round pen, whether we are just starting our training process or as experienced equestrians.  It is a practice that helps us stay curious and joyful throughout our life with horses.

-Victoria Williams