Eclectic Conversations
Eclectic Conversations – The Horse is My Teacher by Van Harris
Emily and Van Hargis discuss the importance of simplicity and discipline in horsemanship, with a focus on the philosophy of Tom and Bill Dorrance. Van shares his personal journey of realizing the importance of family and home life over his career in the horse industry, and the establishment of a horsemanship academy to train better assistants. They also discuss the importance of continuous learning, allowing horses to make their own decisions, and the relevance of practical knowledge and experience in the horse industry.
Van and Emily dive into his book The Horse is My Teacher and its explore its narrative style. Van expressed gratitude for Emily’s magazine and programs, which keep the memories of his mentors and heroes alive. Van praised the simplicity and discipline required in the message behind Eclectic Horseman Magazine, a group focused on un-complicating horsemanship. He appreciated their efforts to ignore distractions and keep their message straightforward.
Van shares his fond memories and respect for Jack Brainard, highlighting Jack’s ability to continuously learn and improve, even at an advanced age. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and humility, encouraging his students to seek out new knowledge from different trainers. He also discusses his experiences with Tom Dorrance, attributing his philosophy to the importance of being present and adaptable in the moment. Lastly, he shares his journey to becoming a writer and the importance of involving owners in the training process to prevent horses from failing due to lack of owner understanding.
Van and Emily visit about the importance of letting horses make their own decisions and learning from their mistakes. Van emphasizes that horses should be set up for success and then allowed to explore and make choices, rather than being forced into specific actions. They also explore the concept of making correct actions easier and incorrect actions more difficult, to encourage horses to choose the correct path. The goal is to build the horse’s confidence and create a positive, stress-free environment for both horse and rider.
Finally Van shared a chapter from his book that emphasized the value of hard work and patience. He explained the origin of the quote “everything comes to he who waits” from his childhood experiences working on a ranch. He highlighted how this quote has stuck with him throughout his life, reminding him of the importance of perseverance and continuous effort.
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The Horse is My Teacher Lessons from the Ranch: Training, Riding, Luck, and Love By Van Hargis