I had so many letters after my first "viewpoint" that I got a swelled head. My co-workers who are grownup enough to insult me to my face told me I wasn’t that special. No problem, I didn’t believe them. I work with a great bunch of people! We don’t have to talk about each other behind backs. When you’re over 40 or 50, we’ve found it much more fun to do it while everyone is listening!

I attended an amazing clinic over this weekend. The clinician’s name is Lee Smith and she’s been working with horses all her life. About 11 years ago, she and Pat Parelli discovered each other, and she has been one of his clinicians ever since. She has attained the highest Level in the Parelli Natural Horsemanship (PNH) system (like belts in Karate). Lee is a Level 4 . . . the first students of Pat's to attain that level. There are 10 levels in his program.

This was a beginners’ clinic, but I learned a lot of "horse savvy" by listening to her explanations and watching her actions with the attendees and their horses. I also froze to death for 4 straight days, but I wouldn’t have missed one word or one experience!

I’ll tell you one story: Teri’s Viewpoint

A recently certified student instructor in the PNH system stayed at my house and attended the clinic. Teri drove 12 hours from her home with her horse so that she could:

1. Watch Lee give a beginning clinic and;

2. Take a 3 hour lesson with Lee.

Can you imagine driving your horse...all by yourself, at the beginning of winter for 12 hours? This is courage and self sufficiency! Also a testament as to the high regard that Lee is held by the members of the Parelli student "family".

I originally met Teri early this year before she was accepted as an instructor in the program. She has been a professional horse and student trainer for about 4 years. She taught school (science) before that. She has been training horses all her life. She told me this weekend that up until this summer, that her opinion of herself was very high. She thought she knew a great deal about horses. Well, this attitude stuck out like a sore thumb when I met Teri this spring. My friends and I didn’t fall over ourselves to bask in her knowledge as she was "aloof." Later in the year, I did start to correspond with Teri via email and discovered a sense of humor and a nice person behind that "aloofness" we experienced in the spring. I invited her to stay at my house so she could attend the clinic.

We had a great time from Friday to Tuesday and it was apparent that this was not the same Teri that I met in the Spring. She said that she had been through a major life change since becoming a certified student instructor. She was attending a class at the Parelli International Study Center and had just driven 16 hours straight to get a horse. The next day Lee Smith looked at her and said, "You are much prettier when you smile." Teri said that she tried to figure out why Lee had said that to her...knew that she was tired the day before...but maybe it was worse than just the day of tiredness. Teri said, "I decided to smile more." That made a difference.

The next event in the makeover was at a beginning clinic with Lee Smith. Teri said, "I was standing there listening to Lee explain things in of all places a beginners’ clinic and all of a sudden it hit me! I knew nothing about horses!"

All weekend, Teri spoke to me like I was interesting...like I knew something about horses....and told me her personal problems and worries. She also smiled a lot! She offered to help me in my problem areas and with her help I learned! Wow! Do I like Teri! She’ll make a great clinician.

During this past year, Teri opened her mind and let new ways of thinking come in. She thinks that all people have something to offer. She tries to learn something from everyone and, best of all, when she smiles at you, you know that she means it!

My words to you this week: SMILE. It’s contagious! Sometimes you just have to look harder for the positive aspects in some people. Like Teri says, "We can learn things from everyone. Sometimes that is just things not to do or be. The PNH philiosophy is to be positive, progressive and natural. . . all three."

Start focusing on other people and what they are saying with their words and their body language. Start caring for others and make that smile a real smile...not plastic. Let some new knowledge come into your head. Don’t let the big brain buffer shut it out before it even has a chance at the gray matter.

Check out this great Christmas site...it’s an award winner and you’ll surely smile:
A Kentucky Christmas

Coming in future articles: a personal story in the continuing saga of "The Early Horse Times" and should be entitled...Fear...It’s a Personal Thing!

Another feature article will be an interview with the author of HoofTalk book and video titled Equine HoofTalk Equilibrium...a Horseman’s Revolution. The hairline tells it all. The farrier that has studied the natural feet of the American Mustang and developed a system where we can maintain our domestic horses’ feet in the same manner.

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