Who I am
I'm Matthieu Dispa, originally from France.
I now live on Fyn, Denmark.
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I started riding ponys when I was 6 and first learned about horses in riding schools as a dressage and jumping rider. Back then, I was taught that a horse was like a bicycle.
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We press buttons and the horse is supposed to react a certain way. Like a bike or a car, a “good horse” would react well, and a “bad horse” would not, in which case force and brutality would be used to make sure that the human always prevails over the animal.
I went away from this way of treating horses as a young adult, preferring trail riding in outdoors rather than the atmosphere of competition in riding schools, still amazed by the fascinating beauty and charm of horses, but not feeling fulfilled by these approach and practices.
I worked several years as a horse riding tour guide in Australia and Canada. There, being with horses became a lifestyle, not just a hobby, and horses became working partners that I would spend my entire day with, from dawn to dusk, feeling connected to nature in amazingly beautiful surroundings. It also allowed me the most valuable experience of all : observing how horses interact with each other in large groups and open spaces.
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In Australia, I met Arthur Kennedy, the greatest horseman I know.
On top of teaching me barefoot trimming, he made me discover natural horsemanship.
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I therefore started to build a whole new relationship to horses thanks to groundwork, respectful leadership and body language. My view on horses shifted completely, as well as my way to treat and handle them. I learned to allow myself to be soft, to do less instead of more, to invite instead of forcing.
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I became a horseman instead of a rider.
My travels took me to different parts of the world, meeting always more horses and challenging my abilities to interact with them, working with young foals, so called “difficult” horses and mistreated horses.
What I learned from every single one of them is first that we should always start by questioning ourselves instead of blaming the outside. If things go wrong, we have to humble ourselves and ask what we can do better. If things go well, we should rejoice and be grateful for finding a balanced connection to these amazing animals.
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Secondly, I learned that our way of interacting with horses is first and foremost a relationship based on mutual respect and trust.
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Today, I work with horses on a daily basis as a barefoot trimmer.
When needed, I help horse owners to create respectful, sustainable and beautiful relationships with their horses.
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