In Do No Harm: The Vow of Ahimsa, I wrote about the vow to do no harm and compassionate horsemanship as a perfect marriage of intention.
Just as the interspecies connection between mankind and animals is fertile ground for abuse, it is also the perfect venue for allowing “man” to be “kind.” I hope the field of horsemanship is ready to accept the message that it can be part of a larger movement, and that the larger movement can inform its growth with greater meaning. That this movement is based on ages-old traditions makes it more meaningful to me as a Buddhist. Yet, judging from the enormous popularity of Deepak Chopra’s modern Ahimsa Vow movement, it has wider appeal. Take a look at I Take the Vow.com.
One of the main components of the horsemanship I like to write about is Tellington TTouch, a gentle, non-dominant training and bodywork method based on communication through touch, taught all around the world. When I found this site tonight I felt that the compassionate horsemanship of Tellington TTouch and the Ahimsa Vow were meant to be lived together.
TAKE THE VOW>
Taking any vow is a solemn affair. Please consider viewing the materials on the site. How this applies to the most basic relationships in life should be obvious. How it applies in our dealings with our horses is sometimes less so, especially in the face of ingrained habits of riding and training. Consider this:
The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.
–Albert Einstein
Billie of Camera Obscura said something in a comment yesterday that made me think hard about the way we become accustomed to doing things. It’s not that we don’t question “the way it’s always been done.” But learning involves taking a new perspective. Habit does not encourage new perspectives.
This will take some very close examination, but I’m interested to know what you all think of some of the issues we face as horse people from the perspective of doing no harm.
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