I have had a fascination & love for horses my whole life. As a child, I chose horseback riding lessons over Girl Scouts. Every time I would pass a farm and see horse fencing, I would get all excited looking for the horses. Even on the road when passing a horse carrier, I would practically break my neck trying to make eye contact with the horses and wave to them as we go by. As an adult, every time I go on vacation, the 1st thing I look for is where I can go riding. I’ve taken time from my vacations in Montauk to volunteer for a day at a stable that needs help, just to be around the horses.
For years and years, I would go on trail rides a few times a year. I would be so excited to go, but then afterwards I never really felt satisfied. Trail rides were disappointing because walking or slowly trotting in a line of bored, tired horses with 1st time riders is not my idea of fun. Unfortunately, that’s all I would ever have access to. If my dreams came true, I would have my own horse. But all ll I ever really wanted was the opportunity to take a horse out by myself and feel that beautiful freedom of a nice flatland canter.
This past year, my dream started to come true. My husband found an opportunity to lease a horse. He is the sweetest & most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen…and he’s practically mine! But being alone with a horse is a whole new world. After thinking I was so great with horses my whole life, I realized that as happy as I was, I was scared to death! I didn’t even know how to put a saddle on by myself! So after a few attempts at bravery turning into extremely dangerous situations with a very rambunctious, emotional horse, I ended up spending most of my time grooming him. We were basically paying someone for me to brush their horse. Or walk him around a very small ring on a lead line. I absolutely love him and the time I spend with him is still wonderful and unbelievably therapeutic,…but this is not my dream.
Here are some of the reasons:
-Every time I tried to mount him, he nervously moved away from the mounting block
-When I did get on him, he would walk around the ring a few times, then just stop & stand still, and there was NOTHING I could do to make him move! (except jump off, lead him back to the mounting block, and go through that whole dilemma again, and again…)
-He would jump & become 10 feet tall at every unexpected noise or sudden movement
-He has bitten me twice
-He would turn his back to me and walk away into his stall facing the back corner
-The 2x I decided to go for it & bring him out into the park, he walked about 100 yards then started freaking out, walking sideways & then turn around into a full gallop back to our entrance, thru the trees…
OH MY GOD! I’M GOING TO GET KILLED! THIS IS NOT MY DREAM!!!
After more than a few times leaving the barn in tears, I finally left thinking I may not come back. Maybe I should just go to a riding center & take lessons on their horses, or just go on a trail ride, so I could actually RIDE A HORSE! But then I felt so bad to just leave my horse. He was so lonely and frightened. And when I wasn’t asking him to do anything outside his comfort zone, he was very affectionate.
I had made a couple of friends in the neighborhood and over time I kept hearing the name Tony Simonetti. Then finally the woman who boards her horse with mine STRONGLY suggested that if I didn’t want to get seriously injured, I should really contact him to see if I could get lessons from him. So I did.
WOW! I’d never seen anything like it. The love and respect this man has for horses, and the level of communication and understanding of what makes them want to pay attention and be your partner instead of your rival is unbelievable.
Through Natural Horsemanship Tony has taught me to effectively communicate with my horse. No frustration, no anger, no fear. Just knowing how to ask, and most importantly to stop confusing my poor horse by sending mixed signals.
Tony has opened my eyes to things I would have never imagined could be so easy, and to have an actual partnership of trust & respect with my horse. Now I wake up & jump out of bed in the morning ready to run to the barn again. He has given me confidence and a fire in me to keep learning. Now I’m only days away from the freedom I’ve always dreamed of…to take off alone with my horse and run off into the field like a cowboy (girl), just like I’ve always wanted.
1-10 Tony, you’re definitely 10. I can not thank you enough for putting my dream in sight
Before Tony...
Tara Martello
Medford, NY