( Al Grandchamp, May, 1998)A few years ago, Al Grandchamp gave me a little Syllabus that he wrote, entitled "Syllabus for the Advanced Horsemanship Class". There are excercises described in a step by step fashion, and diagrams to follow as well. At the end, he has a number of quotes; some from other famous horsemen and some from himself. Let me share some of them with you:
Jean Froissard-(French horseman)-To judge a situation rapidly, one must learn to observe, and to be able to observe one must not talk a great deal.
Ed Connell-(California reinsman)- The main point for any rider to remember is for him to come alive on the horse while he is up there working him. Go with him!
General L'Haute-Calm, forward, straight. This triad is the catechism of riding which every rider must keep constantly in mind.
Henry D. Chamberlain-(U.S. Army)- Sensitiveness of the hand is cultivated by conscious effort.
Wilhelm Meuseler- (Germany)- In a quarrel with a horse the more intelligent man is always wrong, or else he would not let it come to a quarrel.
Alois Podhajsky-(Spanish Riding School)- When anyone thinks he has found out something new, he may be sure that some old riding master has had the same experience and that it has been temporarily forgotten.
Henry Wynmalen-(England)- Nothing shakes a horse's confidence more than being held tightly.
And from Al Grandchamp, the following quotes:
The 5 Bs: Be ready. Be relaxed. Be alert. Be poised. Be confidant.
Expect the unexpected and be prepared for it.
Teach one thing at a time and put the components together.
Adapt to fit the horse and the condition.
A basic rule: It is wise not to rush a horse into something he is not ready or willing to try.
The 3 Ps: Prepare. Position. Propulsion.
Preposition the horse for the desired maneuver before asking him to do it.
It is better not to fight old habits. Just start new ones.
Skill is mastered by repeated effort and attention to results.
Always be willing to learn by accepting suggestions and criticisms.
No matter how difficult the training problem, never become discouraged. There is always a solution.
6 comments:
Those are good quotes to dwell upon. Thanks for sharing them.
Words to live by. Wish I had a memory so I could remember stuff like this!
You know, some of the stuff he wrote is good not just for horsemanship, but also for everyday life!
Don’t mean to judge on the appearance of a single picture of someone whom I’ve never met, but Grandchamp has a kind demeanor. He appears to be a very nice man:0)
Great quotes! Thanks for sharing!
Tom ,that's the secret of horsemanship; everything a horse can teach you can be applied as a life lesson. An you are a good judge of character; Al is one of the nicest people ever.He was 91 or 92 in that picture.
I hope you don't mind but I'm copying these and printing them to put on my tack room wall.
Thanks for sharing these quotes. How helpful :)
Post a Comment