Today’s objective was Setting Boundaries.
We started by discussing this in the circle and again reviewing the Objectives and Competencies from previous weeks. Our goal was to explore what things we can control and what things we can’t, and how to make useful decisions in relationship to this. During the ground work, students wrote down the things that are most precious to them in their lives and/or about themselves. These 'precious' things were then put in a feed pan with horse treats in them. The students needed to decide what they wanted to do in order to protect their precious stuff as their horses approached the feed pan. The students were given some 'cowboy' wisdom to help them protect their precious stuff; make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard. We also invited them to use their internal power, rather than force, to protect this precious stuff. It was so cool to see some of them pet and love on their horses so much that the horses were content enough not to go to the feed pan. It was obvious that those who tried to physically restrain the horse (using force not power), were not as successful.
When the students rode they got to literally feel what it is like to set boundaries with the horse. They learned about doing so with different parts of their bodies as well as with their intention. The idea of making the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard, as well as riding with power not force was also reinforced.
We started by discussing this in the circle and again reviewing the Objectives and Competencies from previous weeks. Our goal was to explore what things we can control and what things we can’t, and how to make useful decisions in relationship to this. During the ground work, students wrote down the things that are most precious to them in their lives and/or about themselves. These 'precious' things were then put in a feed pan with horse treats in them. The students needed to decide what they wanted to do in order to protect their precious stuff as their horses approached the feed pan. The students were given some 'cowboy' wisdom to help them protect their precious stuff; make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard. We also invited them to use their internal power, rather than force, to protect this precious stuff. It was so cool to see some of them pet and love on their horses so much that the horses were content enough not to go to the feed pan. It was obvious that those who tried to physically restrain the horse (using force not power), were not as successful.
When the students rode they got to literally feel what it is like to set boundaries with the horse. They learned about doing so with different parts of their bodies as well as with their intention. The idea of making the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard, as well as riding with power not force was also reinforced.