Welcome to 'Four-Legged'

A column from 'The Westrn' about animals — for those of us who probably like them too much.

I’m convinced some of us are born with a deep connection to animals dug into the softest and most deeply alive cells that make up our bone marrow.

For me, it’s always felt atomic. I’m not talking about anything explosive, but to a knowing that is held not in my brain, but in the makeup of my being.

For a few years, I’ve quietly called this thing ‘Atomic Knowing’ — it’s a sense that the smallest building blocks of my body have spent time in the universe doing many other jobs, and perhaps in my body, there is an abundance of atoms who have served the brains and bodies of dogs, horses, cats, and the like. It’s as if these building blocks hold innate knowledge that I now carry, and it’s up to me to continually discover, unwrap, and turn towards these knowings.

Maybe in another lifetime, after many apprenticeships, I could have been a professional trainer of a sort. But luckily, I’m a writer by trade. That means I get to be curious rather than prescriptive within a timeframe. I can screw everything up, start again, and frustrate only myself and my poor animals — my sole clients.

Bob the Boykin, with the first grouse he FINALLY brought to hand,

And I can tell you the story without the weight of judgment. I didn’t mistakenly train your dog to keep the bird rather than bring it to hand. No. I did that to my first gun dog, by accident, then had to figure out how to fix it. I also taught a quarter horse colt to retrieve a bumper in a few short sessions. I confused even myself with the ease of the latter effort.

Turns out, life gets funny when you get to playing.

Writing specifically about animals has been on my mind for a long time.

I don’t want to approach this with a specific plan. I just want to write once a week about what I’m learning, what I’m trying, or what I’m thinking about. This is a less edited and less curated space. I want to share resources that have been transformative in helping me build better connections with my animals and the work I hope to get accomplished with them.

I’ve spent more money on lessons, training, clinics, educational media, and attending competitions than most people, and I learn something every time. Why not share it?

And hopefully, I’ll be able to get ahold of some trainers and talk through their methods, principles, and ethics around helping our animal friends be in better harmony with us.

If you want to receive Four-Legged, good news!

It currently comes as part of your overall Westrn subscription. I’m hoping to publish every Wednesday, though sometimes things may go astray.

As I get deeper into the practice, I hope you’ll engage with the work, let me know if you find anything that works for you and your four-legged friends, and ask questions that I might be able to send to the real pros building the day-in day-out programs that lead to better lives for so many animals.

Thanks for being here!

I’d love to know if you have any ideas, comments, or questions you’re working to address with your own animals in the comments.

Nicole

Co-signed by:

Butch the Border Collie, Bob the Boykin Spaniel, Mojo Dojo Mule, Seven the BLM Mustang in training, Spots the Appaloosa, Rocco the mountain donkey, and Rickety Cricket the feral cat (who decided this little farm was his home)