Our Ranch…Our Passion
The Horseman’s Word…Our Ranch and Passion!
With Spring upon us, we cannot help but reflect upon where we have come from and where we are going. Spring is a time for renewal, for new-growth, rejuvenation, new beginnings and a time when passion awakens. With this in mind, we thought we would share a little about a time at the beginning of our journey when we named our ranch. Not only to revisit where we have been, but also so we are reminded and can share where we are going. Our ranch is our greatest passion and we are so proud to share it with all of our students and to provide a place where students can experience incredible opportunities for education, horsemanship development, and community.
When Maureen and I pursued our education with horses, we sought to learn all we could about horses and looked to improve the quality of our time with horses. We wanted to improve our overall skills and advance our education. That is when we were extremely inspired by the Parelli program. The passion it brought to our lives was unprecedented and we wanted the name of our ranch to reflect that passion and the importance of the relationship with the horse that is the foundation of Parelli. This led us to discovering “The Horseman’s Word” and the meaning that it so richly conveys. Its’ meaning symbolizes all that we teach our students and our unwavering passion for building strong relationships, with both humans and horses.
“The Horseman’s Word” was a society of horsemen–“horse-whisperers”–who were known as men who who knew and passed on the secret of quickly developing or training wild horses by bonding with them by earning their trust, rather than using brute force. The Horseman’s Word flourished in the 18th and 19th century and was established in North Eastern Scotland. There were several key phrases that group members used to describe how they built relationships with horses, one of those key phrases included “two in one”. In Scots it’s “twa-in-yin” and is a phrase that was said to hold magic qualities and sum up the idea that horse and man worked together as a unit rather than as master and beast. The idea of two becoming one resonated with us, as that is also the essence of the foundation of the Parelli program – helping horse and rider to build harmony, trust and partnership; human and horse coming together in one relationship.
Today, this idea still inspires us as we continue to create an environment on our ranch that provides many opportunities for anyone wishing to tap into the power of the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program so they can achieve a magic relationship with their horse.
A holiday in Russell, Manitoba in November is sure to get you into trouble. That’s when I first met Bear five years ago. A handsome black foundation Tennessee Walking Horse. He was a bit high-headed and spooky, and had never been inside a barn or an arena. So of course, as novice horse humans, we bought him.
My fault entirely. And I wasn’t even really interested in horses then. We were in Russell at the TW Ranch looking for a horse for my wife, Patricia. Here’s how Bear won me over. Patricia had been studying Parelli with Todd Owens, and I’d watch her often. At the ranch there were games and obstacles set up, and while Patricia was looking at another horse, I thought I’d try the Figure-8 with Bear — I’d seen Patricia do that back home. Well, Bear impressed me by showing me how it was done.
Bear and Patricia made good progress on the ground, but he was a handful in the saddle. And when Patricia found another horse, Bear became mine. And he and I began our journey together. 
Bear and I have made some significant strides (pardon the pun) over the last three years. He’s become more left brain, quite confident, and curious. We have a great partnership, and he’s willing to try almost anything I ask of him – providing I ask properly! 
One of the things that we always hear is how much the Parelli Natural Horsemanship Program not only makes a positive impact on the lives of horses, humans and their relationship with each other, but that it also enables the human to create positive changes within their own lives. The principles and philosophies of the program very much lend themselves to personal growth and development.
We have found this link to be present not only within the individual personal lives of our students, but also within their professional lives. One of the greatest examples of this connection can be seen in a workshop that we ran for the York Region District 16 OSSTF branch of Educators who work for the York Region District School board. This was a unique opportunity that presented itself to us, as we were able to create and facilitate a workshop that applied to professional development in a corporate setting.
The pedagogy encompassed the use of equine psychology, simulation, guided discussions and the opportunity to work in-hand with horses. The participants learned how to use their body language to communicate with the horses while learning how this understanding can enhance every relationship in their lives, particularly those in the classroom and the workplace. All of the content within the activities and discussion was then drawn back to their daily lives, teaching practice and how they could enhance their communication skills, particularly when interacting with students and colleagues.
There was no horse experience necessary for those who signed up to attend and for many it was an eye-opening and fascinating experience to have the opportunity to be around horses and interact with them. The participants also discovered that by understanding horse behavior they could make connections that would enhance their professional practice and own lives as well. For many, it was even their first time around horses!!! 
