Training a young stallion, and being trained myself

This post is part of a series I am writing about training, or being trained by, 2 stallions.  Nafis Rafiq “Rafi” is 24, a been-there-done-that wise protective smart patient stallion.  Nasr Mubaarak “Nasr” is his yearling son, just as smart and wise as his daddy, with the curiosity of youth mixed in.   Stallions in general aren’t part of the majority American horse culture.  Most of us grew up riding geldings, or mares.  Stallions are generally reserved for the breeding farms and experienced riders and trainers, and are often perceived as dangerous or difficult.  Thank goodness my first stallion experiences have been with Rafi.    I am figuring out much as I go along, finding a path that honors their conscious being, while also keeping me and other people and horses safe.  I have been blessed to find some conscious horsemanship for stallions mentors in the books of Linda Kohanov and Klaus Hempfling and the teachings of Kim Walnes and her horse Gideon.  Join  me for the journey!

When it comes to stallions, I’m a newbie.

Yes, I live with a senior stallion, now in his early 20s.  He came to me already trained, and comes from very old foundation genetics with incredibly sane calm empathetic temperaments.  I have previously shared short stories about some of the amazing things he has done while living with me.  He truly is a wise protector.  I’ll flesh those stories out and share in the blog as this journey progresses.

Now I have his son Nasr as well.  His son needs to learn about living in the human world, not just here on the farm but also out in the wider world competing and acting as a spokeshorse for his bloodline.

Now, at this point, most experienced horsemen (horsewomen) are shaking their heads, thinking inexperienced handler plus a young weanling stallion is a recipe for disaster.  And I respect that view.  On the face of it, if I were in their shoes, I think I’d be thinking the same.

And…someone, somewhere, once upon a time had to figure this stuff out.  Someone learned or was taught to work with stallions in a way that honors their free will and spirit, while also keeping them safe around others.  So it can be done.  I am also blessed and incredibly grateful to be able to reach out to Kim Walnes and her stallion Gideon for advice, (as well as another experienced mentor/animal communicator/stallion handler who prefers to remain anonymous).  Kim has walked this path herself, knowing that she did not want a shut-down submissive dead-eyed stallion but a safe partner with free will and spirit intact and vibrant.

So, my plan, God willing, is to write about my journey with Nasr, and my experiences with senior Rafi.  May it serve others well.