COlin fassotte

When I was very young, my parents enrolled me in riding lessons, but I only have very vague memories of those moments riding ponies. It didn't last long because I soon wanted to stop. This experience could have been the only one and put an end to my journey with horses.

However, the story did not end there. Several years later, at the age of eleven, I started to feel the call of horses. I crossed paths with a woman who offered me a lot of her time. She was as passionate and in love with horses something I had rarely seen. She put me in the saddle and helped me discover the pleasures of trail riding.

During that same period, we bought our two donkeys, freshly weaned. When I started to educate them, where I quickly understood that they would educate me. Even after ten years, they still teach me a lot.

 

Later I had to look for a new stable to get lessons, but the "classic" riding schools offering dressage or jumping lessons did not interest me. What I liked was to ride outside and enjoy nature.

Eventually I found a stable where western riding and outdoor riding was practiced. I had a few lessons, but mostly I experimented a lot on my own, with various equine companions. Afterwards I continued my training mainly on my own. I was lucky enough to have a great tool at my disposal: the internet. Contrary to most of the teachers I have met in my equestrian career, I belong to the generation that was born with the internet. At that time, I remember spending countless hours on the internet, looking for information to satisfy my thirst for learning.
It was in this stable, at the age of thirteen, that I was first really exposed to Natural Horsemanship, via a teacher. I had the opportunity to learn a little more technique by watching her lessons.

 

At the dawn of my fourteenth birthday, I met my current horse, Azzaro. It was an unexpected encounter. A four year old horse living in a herd, hardly knowing man and hardly being handled at all. Everything had to be done, a real challenge, but my parents trusted me and decided to offer him to me. He was the first horse I started. I made a lot of mistakes, but I can say that this is the horse that has taught me the most so far. It has been a great gift and I can say that it has been the driving force behind the rest of my journey, my quest for Horsemanship.

It was at this time that I became more interested in the teaching of La Cense and Parelli Natural Horsemanship, although I understood very little English at that time. Very early on, I also started to study equine learning theories.

 

A year later, I met a student from the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program. She introduced me to the Parelli Savvy Club which is the online platform for sharing Pat Parelli's philosophy. It was also thanks to her that I was able to receive my first lessons with a Parelli instructor. The following years were punctuated by various courses and lessons with (former) Parelli, La Cense or similar instructors.

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In 2016, I met Brigitte Latouche. This was a major encounter in my journey. Among many other things, she helped me to understand the importance of attitude, before techniques. As the years go by she continues to amaze me and support me in my projects.

 

In 2021 I started to study dressage a little closer and was able to meet Patrice Franchet d'Esperey. However, it is more recently that I started my apprenticeship with the teachings of Michael Wanzenried (Ecole de Légèreté + Balance Organisation) and Birgitta Bergsten. I also started to take a more serious interest in the teachings of Buck Brannaman and Leslie Desmond.

 

After studying agronomy, I decided to go abroad to intensify my study of the horse. I spent a year in the swiss Jura as a working student with Michael Wanzenried, Parelli 5* instructor and horse development specialist, and his partner Claudia Ledig. I was able to gain experience in running a horse facility and working with horses, especially youngsters (basic handling, starting under saddle, beginning of dressage work, work on the cavesson).

In May 2022, I took part in a colt starting course in Italy, led by Pat Parelli and supervised by Franco Giani and Gigi Pini. This 5-day course was an unforgettable experience (read the blog post).

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In addition to learning, I am interested in other subjects such as trimming, feeding, boarding, bits and saddles.
 

Self-improvement is essential for me. I love to learn and my ambition is to remain a student, especially a student of the horse, to become a Horseman, a real horseman.

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Summary of my journey so far

- Parelli Savvy club and various home study materials;

- The degrees DVD of La Cense;

- Numerous readings, some of which you can find in the library;

- Clinics and private lessons

•  Participation in clinics led by Brigitte Latouche, Isabelle Bastaits, Nathalie Lagasse, Russel Higgins, Luc Parisis, Patrice Ferré;

• Auditor in clinics led by par Brigitte Latouche, Pauline Beulze, Luc Parisis, Ludovic Fournet, Patrice Franchet d'Esperey, Michael Wanzenried, Pat Parelli, Birgitta Bergsten;

• Private lessons with Manon Chapeau, Brigitte Latouche, Luc Parisis, Nic de Winne, Birgitta Bergsten;

- Colt starting course with Pat Parelli : 5 days in Italy;

- Working-student for 1 year at Michael Wanzenried and Claudia Ledig’s place (Switzerland)