In Focus Horsemanship
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In Focus Horsemanship
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For the Scholarly Pursuit of Riding
“Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one's understanding without guidance from another. This immaturity is self-imposed when its cause lies not in lack of understanding, but in lack of resolve and courage to use it without guidance from another. Sapere Aude! 'Have courage to use your own understanding!' - that is the motto of enlightenment.” -- Immanuel Kant
Why Read?
Read, Ride, Reflect is a book club in Northern Virginia. It is also this website. The brain-child of Callie Fulmer, Read, Ride, Reflect is dedicated to the promotion of the scholarly pursuit of riding. What in the heck does that mean?
To put it more simply, I believe that riding (and horsemanship) is more than a sport. Though the physical aspects cannot be denied, it is the intellectual pursuits of both the horse and the rider that bring us truly together. I believe the best approach to the education of the horseman is one that emphasizes "the big picture". It is here, exploring the theories and big ideas of the topic that truths are exposed. In the standard lesson or clinic, the discussion is centered on what is happening with that specific horse, and that specific rider, in that moment in time. While this is helpful and necessary, it frequently leaves the budding horseman at a loss on how to proceed.
But to truly experience the big picture, you must not only read books about riding in the discipline you practice but also other disciplines. Anatomy, biomechanics, veterinary science, driving, circus training, and racing would also be on the list. Add to that philosophy, science, music, mathematics, and engineering. I would encourage you to read this article from St. John's College "The Last Don Rag". For it is not by surrounding ourselves with like-minded ideas that we grow as humans, but by exploring the strange and unusual; this is how Truth is revealed.
Why Books?
In the age of the internet, books have become even more important. As the long form of recording the ideas and teachings of people, it is only through books- not titles, video snips, and other short-form discussions, that we can really hope to begin to understand how the trainer chooses the steps to bring the horse together.
I think of it like a puzzle- even if two trainers had exactly the same ideal horse picture in their mind, the shape of the pieces could be very different between two trainers, and while there can be much to learn from both, you may not realize that by working with short forms of information, there are gaps in your education where the pieces you took from trainer A don't overlap with the pieces from trainer B. Outside of extensive apprenticeship, books are the only way to try and see how all of the pieces fit together in one person's mind.
How It Works
1Join
Being a member is $75 a year (That's one lesson, for a whole year's worth of discussion!) We meet once a month, and you will find the reading list and all of the details below.
2Read
The book list is below, if you aren't sure which book we are on, get in touch. Buy or borrow it (see the FAQ for resources). Read it and come to the meeting
3Discuss
We meet monthly and talk about the book. Some books we may stay with for several meetings, some are one & done. All are educational.
FAQs
your questions... answered
When are the meetings?
We meet once a month. You can find the dates and location by scrolling down, or in my newsletter (email me to be added), on my online scheduler under "Group Events" (add yourself for an e-mail reminder the day before), or you can subscribe to the In Focus calendar and have all my events and Tri-State Lessons added right to your calendar! We will be starting in January 2025.
What's the book list?
This list will be expanded over time, and since we will agree on how long to stay with each book I will update this with which book we are on periodically. But to get you started:
For the First meeting in January 2025:
The three "required reading" articles here: Lessons from Woody, True Collection, Ring of Muscles, and three of the articles currently posted here: How Horses Work: Untracking, How Horses Work: The Anatomy of Soft Feel, and How Horses Work: The Anatomy of Straightness
Then we will read:
To Catch a Horse, Amy Skinner (I have her second book, The Middle Road, in my stack for a future selection as well)
Old Men and Horses, Ross Jacob (His site is in Australia, you may wish to use Book Finder for a closer copy. I have his other two books Changing the Tide, and The Essence of Good Horsemanship in the pile for the future as well.))
Riding in Release, Kate Sandel (She is in the UK, you may wish to find a closer copy)
Quotes and Commentary, Craig P. Stevens & Mary Anne Campbell
And as we see what the group likes, I will add more books!
Where do I find the books?
The book list is here. Use BookFinder.com to help you find a used copy of the book at a good price. If you plan in advance, you can also use Loudoun County Interlibrary Loan to get books. This process is a little slow, so be sure to think ahead. I also encourage you to get a book buddy with whom you can share books.
How are the books chosen?
I have two criteria: the books are worth reading because I know there is an investment of time involved in reading a book. They are also reasonably affordable/available. I have collected books for many, many years, and there are some amazing books that are simply too costly and hard to come by to be practical for a group, so we left those off.
Do I agree with everything? No. Horsemanship is considered an art, with good reason. As an individual relationship between a horse and their human, there can be definite variations. Some of them work for me. and some of them don't. That doesn't mean there isn't something to learn, even if it isn't right for you.
How do I pay?
You can pay by check, Venmo, or Zelle. Contact me if you don't already have the information you need. Membership is good for a year, Jan-Dec.
Will there be a Zoom option?
I'm not sure yet. If you would be interested in a Zoom option, please let me know and I will think about how to make that work. I highly value in-person discussions, but I also understand how hard it is to find such discussions in the world. If you are interested, drop me an e-mail
March
Thursday the 27th, upstairs in the Purcellville Library 6pm social time, 6:30 start
April
Thursday the 24th, upstairs in the Purcellville Library 6pm social time, 6:30 start
We are reading Old Men and Horses, by Ross Jacobs
May
Thursday the 29nd, upstairs in the Purcellville Library 6pm social time, 6:30 start
June
TBD
Contact Me
Don't be afraid to reach out. You & your horse + me = awesome.
Lovettsville, VA, and surrounding areas at your locationby Appointment540-751-8650 text for fastest response
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