Horse/Human Relationship Goals

The goal of horse/human relationships is a positive willing partnership with the horse happily accepting his human’s ideas. Traditional horsemanship focuses on riding with physical communication between human and horse. When I teach I focus on how to communicate with the horse not only physically but energetically, mentally and emotionally, first on the ground and then on his back. If my horse isn’t responding to me with willingness and respect on the ground then I need to ask myself is he truly responding to me when we ride or is he deciding to accommodate me just to get it over with?

Have you ever had a good ride and then, as you led your horse after your ride, been pulled around as he keeps diving for grass? Have you ridden your horse on a trail or in a ring when he suddenly spooks or becomes anxious and nothing you do seems to calm him down to his or your satisfaction? Does your horse bump into you and shove you around? Knowing that you and your horse love each other, have you ever wondered why he/she can be so difficult at times? 

There are thousands of excellent professionals who teach horseback riding in every possible discipline: Jumping, Dressage, Polo, Barrel Racing, Eventing, Reining and more. However, what is so often missing is the necessary mental and emotional understanding necessary for a relationship with positive qualities. Creating a partnership with your horse is always achieved most effectively when begun on the ground. Create a relationship of mutual love, trust, respect and understanding before you sit on his back. When you get your relationship right with your horse, he’ll always give you his best performance because he’s already given you his heart.

Sometimes instead of asking, “How is my riding?” a better question to ask is “How is my relationship?” or “How is my communication?” When it comes to my horse, these are my priorities: Do I feel safe, am I having fun, am I achieving my goals, and does my horse respond to me when I ask? If not, what do I need to do to have me and my horse become safer, calmer, more confident, more respectful and more fun to ride. The answer to this question I believe is not about working exclusively on my riding; it’s also about working on myself, my education and in turn the quality of my relationship with my horse.