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How Horses Help Us Become Better People – A Four Part Series: Part One

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By Steve Stevens 

I often find myself telling a client who is having a rough time with a horse what a great opportunity they have to work on themselves. What a blessing the horse is for them, opening them up to endless amounts of self reflection. How exciting it is to become a better human through learning how to correctly communicate with the horse. As you can imagine, I get all sorts of first responses to this concept of horse/humanship.

Some of the responses are of confusion, frustration, anger, or even tears and heartbreak. I hear things like, “You don’t understand. I just want you to train my horse; I don’t need training” or I don’t need to work on myself. It is my horse that has issues.” I’ve heard, “You are not my therapist!” and I have also seen people look at me like I am crazy and wonder how quick they can get off my property. Sometimes I mention what a gift the horse is to help us work through personal issues and the client will completely break down. I imagine to some I am like a Kung Fu master trying to describe the Yin & the Yang.

After working with humans and horses for nearly twenty years, it is, in my humble opinion, that while working with horses, if they are not improving your ability to become a better person you are missing the boat. Unbeknownst to people, when I am working with the human or the horse, it has become my life’s mission to help with this process. To truly connect with the horse, we have to work on so many of our basic fundamental human skills. Number One—we must work from a place of Truth to have pure honesty about ourselves.

Allow the horse to teach you what human qualities need more work. Whether it is having more patience, nagging too much, needing more assertiveness, having more awareness, how realistic your expectations are, or how confident you are with your skills. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Stevens)

Allow the horse to teach you what human qualities need more work. Whether it is having more patience, nagging too much, needing more assertiveness, having more awareness, how realistic your expectations are, or how confident you are with your skills. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Stevens)

We have to admit our flaws, be truthful about our abilities and be painfully aware of our intentions. See, horses can read us like a book because their sensorial levels are so much more acute than ours, due to being a prey animal and having the ability to survive millions of years with the use of flight. They can feel our fear, anxiousness, and frustrations—most of all our intentions, even if we are not aware consciously of what they are, (due to distractions of the mind’s ego.) If you were dealing with another human and they were nervous, anxious or manipulating a situation, would you trust them? I know I wouldn’t and would get away as soon as possible. If a horse is in the same situation, without the constraints of being connected to a halter and lead, or in a stall or a pen, they will almost always choose to leave.

This is where the horse can help us work on ourselves. If you can admit your true emotions, you can work on those issues from the bottom up. This will help you focus on what areas truly need work, and will actually help build the relationship between you and your horse. So the next time you work with your horse, take a deep breath and ask yourself what you want to accomplish with him or her. Be honest with your emotions and fair to your horse.

Allow the horse to teach you what human qualities need more work. Whether it is having more patience, nagging too much, needing more assertiveness, having more awareness, how realistic your expectations are, or how confident you are with your skills.

Give yourself time for reflection and start working on these human skills that we all lack in. Someone might have said this before but my mentor Kenny Call said, “Let the horse be your greatest teacher.”

 

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Farm and Ranch Injuries

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By Barry Whitworth, DVM

In January, I attended the Oklahoma Veterinary Conference. While waiting for one of the sessions to start, a classmate of mine commented how many of the attendees walk with a limp, used a cane, and/or have damaged hands. We all agreed that working with animals is hard on the body. In general, anything associated with farming and ranching is dangerous.

Most farmers and ranchers know that agriculture is a dangerous occupation. According to United States Bureau of Statistics, workers involved in agriculture, forestry, and fishing had the highest occupational fatality rate in 2022. The fatality rate of 23.5 per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers for this group is much higher when compared to the overall occupation fatality rate of 3.7 per 100,000 FTE. Most of the agriculture-related fatalities are associated with transportation, such as tractor overturns, and vehicle crashes, but a fair number involve livestock.

To read more, pick up a copy of the March issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

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Jesses Jewelz

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By Jesse Kader

Comfy and keep it western. That’s the name of the game this month. It’s hot and who wants clingy clothing? This jumpsuit is perfectly comfortable and relaxed without forfeiting the fashion. Dress it up or keep it casual. See this and more at www.jessesjewelz.com.

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Noble Research Institute Expands New Program Offering Farmers and Ranchers the Essentials of Regenerative Ranch Management 

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The educational program has been expanded to three new locations, empowering ranchers and farmers to monitor and improve the health of their land, livestock and livelihood through regenerative principles.

ARDMORE, OK–September 12, 2023 – Noble Research Institute announced the expansion of Essentials of Regenerative Ranching, a new educational program designed to help ranchers enhance and restore the land, making it more resilient and reaching livestock grazing goals through regenerative management. Essentials of Regenerative Ranching provides producers with practical tools, hands-on experience and guidance to make data-driven decisions to decrease costs and improve profit.

The Essentials of Regenerative Ranching course has been expanded to three new locations in Texas and Oklahoma. Registration is open now at www.noble.org/essentials. Seating is limited, so early registration is recommended.

Texas A&M

College Station, Texas

October 17 – 18

O.D. Butler, Jr. Animal Science Complex

Noble Research Institute

Ardmore, Oklahoma

October 31 – November 1

Pavilion Center

Texas A&M

Kingsville, Texas

November 7-8

Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Center

“Program participants gain working knowledge and experience of monitoring and improving the health of their soil, grazing livestock more strategically and making informed financial decisions,” said Hugh Aljoe, Noble Research Institute’s director of ranches, outreach and partnerships. “We use a mix of classroom and field work to send producers home with the tools they need to begin making changes on their ranch.”

Farmers and ranchers navigate uncertainty from weather, fluctuating market prices and escalating costs of inputs. Many producers are seeking new tools that offer greater control and reduce their operational uncertainty. Through this course, ranchers and farmers will calculate their financial situations, determine initial stocking rates, carrying capacity and grazing goals.

“The course is well-suited for ranchers of all experience levels and all types and sizes of operations,” Aljoe added. “No matter your situation, this program will transform the way you think about your ranch.”

The Essentials of Regenerative Ranching program allows producers to overcome obstacles, become more informed problem-solvers and increase the productivity of their grazing lands.  By participating in this program, ranchers join a community of like-minded producers who are shaping the future of ranching and leaving a lasting impact on their land and families. “If I had known what I learned in this course when I started my regenerative journey, I could have avoided some key mistakes,” said Tana McCarter, a rancher, and Essentials attendee. “I left with the tools I needed to monitor my soil health and financial progress. I’ll now have the right data to make informed decisions on how to meet my regenerative goals.”

Noble Research Institute is an independent nonprofit agricultural research organization dedicated to guiding farmers and ranchers in applying regenerative principles that yield healthier soil, more productive grazing land, and business success.

At Noble, researchers, facilitators and ranch staff work together to share with farmers and ranchers the skills and tools to regenerate the land in a profitable manner. Noble is focused on the regenerative management of the nation’s grazing acres, which directly impacts pasture and range environments, wildlife, pecan production, and livestock production. Regenerative management recognizes that each decision made on the ranch impacts the interactions of the soil, plants, water, animals, economics and people. Noble’s 14,000 acres of working ranch lands provide a living laboratory on which to demonstrate and practice regenerative principles and ideas to deliver value to farmers and ranchers across the U.S.

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