A Grounded Practice

What exactly is grounded mulemanship (or horsemanship)? And does it require learning complicated breathwork, yoga, or meditation? The short answer is no - and I don't know much about any of those things, so I'll share what having a grounded mulemanship practice means to me.

Grounded mulemanship honors the moment you and your mule are in. It is steeped in the present and in the interconnectedness of all beings at all times. It responds to the mule or horse that is in front of you - not the mule or horse you turned out last night, not the mule or horse you won the blue ribbon on last week, and certainly not the mule or horse you hope to win the jackpot on tomorrow. Grounded mulemanship carries no human judgments or projections - no hopes, no fears, no desires, no expectations. Grounded mulemanship meets your mule exactly where she is and exactly as she is now, in the present moment.

I emphasize groundedness in my program because it's the first conscious step we must take as humans to meet our equines where they already always are! Our equines only exist in the present - it's one reason they are such powerful healers and guides. In order to begin to develop a real language and relationship with our equines, it is our obligation to meet them where they are. This might seem like common sense, but consider how many owners head out to the barn in a huff after a stressful day at home or at work, only to take out their emotional dysregulation on their horse.

Lack of groundedness results in blaming the horse for problems only the human can create. Lack of groundedness results in anthropomorphism. Lack of groundedness results in the use and normalization of bullying, subjugation, and abuse to feed the human ego at the expense of the mule’s dignity and well-being.

So, let's start from a place of groundedness. Your mule is already there waiting to welcome you.