Sunday, April 27, 2008

I've been teaching more

I like teaching.

Last weekend I was challenged by teaching a larger group than I'm used to. One on one has been ideal for me. Well, with horses, it's a threesome: me, owner/handler/rider, and horse.

This was a teaching presentation that involved three women and their horses, and an audience of about -- sixty? I prepared well, slept well the night before, had good support there at hand with me, and from feedback, people welcomed what I had to say.

The title of my presentation was Preventing Equine Burnout through Groundwork, and the context was the annual NARHA Region 1 Conference. I teach therapeutic riding, I teach volunteers who lead horses, and I teach volunteers to handle and ride horses such that the horses' physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing are enhanced.

I like influencing people in ways that help the horses. I am grateful for opportunities like this. I had fun even though I certainly had moments of anxiety ahead of time -- the sort of anxiety that is inherently close to the excited feelings I also had.

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