“The journey of horsemanship and life share many parallels.”
~B.G.

It takes only one horseman to teach a horse.
It takes a lifetime of horses to teach a horseman…
~B.G.

My greatest teacher’s taught me …

Sensitivity

The wildness that always exists

Speed

Straightness

Survival

Commitment

How weakness strengthens

Overcoming great odds

Humility

When to ask for help

Character

Observation

Thinking

Reflection

Living in the moment

Hanging in there

Hanging on

Letting go

Saying good bye

Patience

Feel

Trust

Mutual Respect

Timing

Release

Compassion

Perseverance

Balance

Ego

Pride

Loyalty

Emotional control

Inspiration

Rising to the occasion

Acceptance

Enlightenment

Joy

Looking deeper

Digging deeper

Companionship

Taking time

Boundaries

Awareness

Focus

Breathing

Stillness

Intention

Creativity

Empathy

Assertiveness

Calm

Courage

Follow through

Make no assumptions

Nothing is personal

Staying impartial

Clarity

Consistency

Confidence

There are some lessons only a horse could teach with such clarity.

Barb Gerbitz

Never Quit

When things go wrong
And sometimes they will
And the road your walking
Seems all uphill

God is working at making you stronger
For the next winding road is apt to be longer

When money is scarce
And the bills are much higher
God is teaching you, work even harder

When life is baring down a bit
Rest if you must, but never quit

It’s like climbing a mountain
The top seems so far
You never can tell
How close you are

When your trying like hell
To make it alright
And frustration sets in
Don’t get on the fight

Slow it way down
And try it again
Next thing you know
Your movin’ ahead

Success is a problem turned inside out
The other side of your own self doubt

Serve your own purpose
Your on the right track
Let your light shine
And never look back

So, lift yourself up
When you feel hardest hit
It’s When, things go wrong
That you must never quit.

~Barb Gerbitz

She’s the one for me…

That little mare
Out in the pasture.

She’d only let,
that old cowboy catch her.

He had a time breaking her out.
Eventually though she figured him out.

The first year was tough,
He went slow
He just never knew
when she would blow.

But, as the years went
and he got to know her,
his bond and hers, grew ever stronger.

Oh, now and then
You might see’em argue
About which cow he’d pick
Or crossin’ some water.

But, over all
she’d give what he need.
All she’d ask for
was work, rest and feed.

He knew her like the back his hand.
She knew him like the lay of the land.

“That’s my girl out by the fence
She’s the one for me…”

~Barb Gerbitz

The horse is only as safe as it feels…
~B.G.

The Mentor

He said,
“The long and winding road,
never has an end…
The horse becomes your teacher,
to read and comprehend…
You reach a stop and starting point,
somewhere in between…
Where; the horse and man combine,
the horseman can be seen…”

~Barb Gerbitz

Old Vaquero

Watch that pony spinnin’
Like a devil in the sand
Who’s idea was it
The pony or the man
Watch’m stop an turn and run
And chase a little steer
Who is tellin’ who
What to do and where
Sometimes when I look away
I see the silhouette
Of a creature ridin’ out
I will not soon forget…

~Barb Gerbitz

Knowing

Have you took the time
To watch
The way your pony moves?
How he places feet in time
With what he wants to do.
Do you know which foot comes first,
Preparing for a turn?
Would you set and watch a while
Until you really learn?
Do you know how much it means
To really give him time,
To sort it out
In his head
And make it thru his mind?
If you want to know
How to step into his heart.
Make sure you know
What he needs
From the very start.

~B.G.

A horse learns every moment, from every experience.
~B.G.

A finished horse is nothing more than foundation refined…
~B.G.