The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Twelve miles up and out of the Touchet Valley, I sat down with friends Robert and Janet Phinney to discover we have more in common than I might have thought. I'm a musician; the Phinney's are equestrians. Spend a little time with them, and you'll realize they are philosophers. In life, all things really are connected.

Their ranch in the Blues' foothills is populated with evergreens and five quarter horses: Madison, Ruby, Annie, Jasper, and Cholo. Alongside the log cabin Robert designed, a massive indoor arena graces the land. It is the stage for helping horses and their human partners discover their "dream ride." The Phinneys are the creators of the Inspired Horseman program, a horsemanship training and coaching style for individuals and groups. They were quick to point out that their inspiration comes from their horses.

"It's a dance," Robert explained. "Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did; she just did it backward." Here he refers to the relationship between human and horse.

"You're the leader," Phinney says. "When the horse understands what you want him to do, he'll do what you want, but he'll do it his way. Then he owns the dance and expresses himself in it."

Janet put it like this, "When you become the rider your horse needs you to be, your horse becomes the horse you want him to be."

The rider needs to have clear intent as the horse will mirror everything the rider expresses-even fear, insecurity, or indecision. Riders must know who they are and what they want to develop close relationships with their horses.

"If you're not sure what you want, don't blame the horse," said Robert.

The Phinneys offer two, three, and five-day clinics to groups of up to six students, using the indoor arena and surrounding fields and forests. Each rider receives individual attention and support. They also provide instruction to local clients through private and group lessons.

They also offer online instruction through their subscription website, Inspired Horseman TV. A variety of training videos produced in the arena are available at tv.inspiredhorseman.com, where you'll be greeted with the words, "Build Better Partnerships."

Spend a few hours with the Phinneys, and you'll realize you're never just talking about horses; you're talking about everything. Relationships, self-image, communication, purpose, struggle, and growth.

Janet was once a software engineer and project manager. Robert is an experienced farmer and rancher and once taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Wyoming. For some time, both have been exploring the world of "classical dressage."

Robert's interest includes the history and horsemanship style of the American bridle-horse, which dates back to the early California missions. The practice has origins in classical dressage and was inspired by an early 20th-century horse-trainer and French cavalry officer, Etienne Beudant, who did extraordinary things with horses.

"We're life-long learners," said Robert. "Horses gave me life. I'm a student learning from the horse. The horse teaches me honesty and trust. The horse is always honest. The question is, are we honest with ourselves?"

The Phinneys have worked with influential teachers, including Americans Tom Dorrance and Buck Brannaman; and Philippe Karl of France. They host the Buck Brannaman Clinic in Dayton each year at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. This year the clinic was well attended and took social distancing to the arena.

"Connection with the horse leads to understanding about who you are and where you're going," said Janet. "There's a dream ride inside all of us, in our work and relationships, if we're not afraid to discover it. You have to want the relationship more than you fear it."

Wait. Is she talking about horses or people?

"If we could help each other be the best we could be," she says, "we all could be the best at doing what we all love," she said.

After spending time with the Phinneys, I found the lessons in their words and actions felt like rising above a thick blanket of fog to where the sun is shining.