Overcoming trauma from being started under saddle

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Overcoming trauma from being started under saddle

Starting a young horse under saddle is not an easy feat, no matter how easy-going your horse is. It always takes time and a gentle approach.

But what do you do if during that process something happens? What do you do if your horse has a traumatic experience?

Meet Simone and her four-year-old mare Ocamilla, the horse that “couldn’t” be started under saddle.

Step #1: Realize why your horse is uncertain

First off: no horse is impossible to start under saddle (barring any medical issues, of course).

The first thing to think about is that no horse wants to feel tense. Tension, anxiety, and fear are all unpleasant instinctual responses that we think we cannot control.

These uncertainties are not part of your horse’s personality. It’s because they simply do not know better. 

And that’s something we can train. Through groundwork and recreating environmental pressures, we can teach our horses what to do with themselves in case something happens.

Watch that process in the video below:

Step #2: Rewrite your horse's story

There are many steps I take in order to safely start or restart a horse under saddle and we won’t be able to show them all here, but one of them is girth pressure. It’s a really important part of the process.

Often, when presenting a young horse with the girth and saddle for the first time, we’re overly careful. We’re trying to be silent, to be gentle. That works, right up until something undoubtedly happens and suddenly the girth isn’t silent and careful and the horse explodes, leaving a negative memory.

The key to overcoming trauma is to explain the elements involved with girthing, like pressure, sounds, and movements.

Discover my process here:

Step #3: Teach your horse new skills

A known issue with Ocamilla was that she panicked when getting on.

So we paid extra attention to how she was presenting herself to the mounting block. Teaching your horse to present themselves so you can get into the saddle is not only beneficial to you, but also to your horse.

It’s a physical confirmation that they’re ready to follow your commands and they’re expecting you to get on. In this way, you eliminate any element of surprise and you make sure you and your horse are as comfortable as you can be.

Watch the process here:

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Three steps to prepare for a relaxed summer swim

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Three steps to prepare for a relaxed summer swim

We’ve all seen them: videos where horses leap into a body of water, hauling their rider with.
 
But how do you teach your horse to step in confidently, without pressure? I’ll explain all the steps so you and your horse can cool down happily  this summer.

Step #1: Simulate the water

Before we’re heading to actual water, we want to simulate the different elements involved first. I use a tarp as it’s not only visually but also audibly a challenge for horses, just like water.

I then send my horses out on the circle from a leading position. You don’t want to feel like you’re chasing your horse towards the tarp.

Step #2: Reward by going away

What you want to achieve in the early stages is your horse showing interest in the water.

This means that as soon as your horse starts to lean towards the tarp in an interested position, you actually take your horse away.

The more times you can do this, the more your horse believes in his body and believes he can take himself over.

The aim is that your horse consciously chooses to step on the tarp and that he’s not pushed. 

Step #3: Repeat this process

As soon as your horse has found the “yes-posture”, the posture for success, you can ask him to move over the tarp. 

When your horse is confident on the ground, you can move up to work in the saddle, leaving the rein long so your horse can find the right posture.

When you’ve perfected that, the only thing left to do is to go to the water!

Approach the water just like you did the tarp and your horse will confidently take your through!

Watch the video to find out more:

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The do’s and don’ts of entering a competition ring

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The do's and don'ts of entering the competition ring

We’ve all seen the dressage disaster videos where a dressage rider enters the ring and the horse spooks and exits stage left.

It’s a situation no one wants to be in. But how can you resolve it? What can you do to ensure that your horse is confident, no matter the pressures in the environment? 

Step #1: Take the leg off

That’s the single most important thing. It’s vital that you’re not pushing your horse towards the scary thing.

Instead, the horse has to feel that they are confidently stepping towards the scary thing. Your horse has to believe he’s taking himself there. 

Often we’re afraid our horse will stop, but if that happens, you do the following:

Step #2: Open the front legs

By opening the front legs, as explained in the video below, your horse goes into what I call the “yes-posture”. 

When a horse leans back he goes into the “no-posture” which even becomes worse when we put the leg on to push the horse forward. 

Instead you want to open the front legs by guiding the front legs to the left or right with your reins. 

Of course, this is something you want to practice at home before going to a competition. Doing this during the test will give you lower scores than trying to hide the tension by pushing your horse forward. 

 

However, in the long run, if you want your horse to be able to give his best, he needs to feel confident and relaxed in the arena. 

Watch the clinic to find out more:

Working with a horse with only one eye

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Blacky: A horse with only one eye

How to work with an insecure horse

Blacky is an eight-year-old gelding. His eye had to be surgically removed due to moon blindness.

What used to be a very steady and easy horse, was turned into an insecure and sometimes really spooky horse ever since his eye was removed.

He is particularly sensitive to sounds when riding. The left side where he can still see is the most sensitive one.

It's as if somebody you really care for has been in a car accident.

If you’ve got a horse that has lost one eye it can be a very dramatic experience for the both of you.
 
And trauma can cause insecurity to get even worse. So to get rid of that both you and you’re horse have to let go of the trauma and fear.
 
If you don’t let go, chances are you will handle your horse differently in a way where you don’t give him enough space. It’s as if somebody you really care for has been in a car accident and you’re always worried and concerned.

Instead, let your horse be a master of himself.

The worst thing you can do to make your horse more insecure is to keep him to close to you, by holding him or restraining him.

The right thing to do is is to give your horse his own place in the space of conversation, where he can stand on his own four feet.

Make your horse aware of his own body.

If you have a horse with only 1 eye, he has learned to deal with this by overcompensating on the side with the eye he still has a vision with.

This causes his body to become unbalanced. And that makes him even more insecure.

The first step you can take to reduce his uncertainty in this is to rebalance his body.

You can achieve this with the awareness exercise, in which you make your horse aware of his own body and senses.

The right order of movement.

When moving the hind legs, you are teaching your horse a good order of movement.

A good order of movement means that your horse knows where he has to put his feet to stay balanced.

You can achieve this with the moving the hind legs exercise. 

During this exercise, and especially when your horse is mastering it, you will find that your horse becomes more and more focused an in control of himself. 

Watch the full training.

Do you want to know how I got to the point during this training where Blacky became completely relaxed and in control of his own body?

I explain it all in the Types Of Horses Module, which is part of my Reduce Tension Course. Click the link below for more information!

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Teaching your horse to stand relaxed in cross ties

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Teaching your horse to stand relaxed in the cross ties

There are many horses that feel tense and uncomfortable in the cross ties, who don’t want to enter the space, who struggle, who protest.

The anxiety can also be disguised – impatient pawing on the floor, weaving or even whinnying.

For some horses, the cross ties can be a very claustrophobic space, a place where they’re held and controlled; trapped, even.

This doesn’t mean that your horse can’t feel confident and relaxed when tied up, it just means that you need to show your horse the bits and pieces of the information that he is currently missing.

I worked with a very shy mare, for whom the cross ties were a very uncomfortable space that she’d rather just rush into, to get it over with.

But by letting her rush in, she also rushes past all the steps she needs to take to feel comfortable in such a tight and restraining space.

Before we start to work with the cross ties, you need to find a spot where your horse feels comfortable. This will be your spot to return to so your horse has a place where they can drain the built-up tension from their body.

I explain more about this first step in the video below.

Once you’ve found a good position to fall back to, it’s time to control the approach.

Every step forward will be a step towards the pressure zone. It’s important that you help to remind her to ground herself; lowering her head and relaxing the muscles in her body will subsequently relax her mind too.

For this mare, the approach is a set blueprint.

She knows she needs to turn around when being put in the cross ties, so you can see her thinking: “Okay, I got in, I now need to spin around because we always do so.”

It’s important that you break through that chain of thought and change it into one that’s way more relaxed.

At this point of the training, I again remind her of the relaxing and grounding methods, until I feel like she’s more relaxed in the space she’s in.

I let her look and feel until her thought changes to: “Oh, I am in this scary space, but I don’t feel like I have to turn around. I can actually explore a bit!”

That’s the moment I back out to her position of rest.

Building those steps further and further will eventually mean that you can move the position of rest.

Your horse will feel more comfortable in places closer to their place of pressure, in this case the cross ties.

It’s in moments like these where I like to reward the horse and remind them that we’re doing this to help them, not to argue with them.

I like to do that with a little pet and a break. Once you feel like your horse is ready, you can get back to your training.

You will notice that the progress is not gradual. You can take a step forward, but you’ll also have to take a step backward. It’s because you’re trying to change a horse’s way of thinking, a mental thought process that’s been established a long time ago.

It will take time and patience to rewrite that thought process in a way that’s more comfortable for the horse.

I want to press to your heart that it’s not about the end-game.

Your horse will only stand calmly in the cross ties once they understand what they’re doing there and don’t feel like they’re trapped for an indefinite amount of time.

Don’t rush through the steps, but take your time to explain to your horse why you’re doing the things you do.

Make sure that, at any given moment, you can let your horse take as many steps back or forward when you want them to.

That control will tell you that your horse feels balanced and comfortable in the situation you’re working in.

Standing calmly in the cross ties will be one of the many positive outcomes of that approach!

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Applauding when the horse is still in the ring?

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Loud Music and Applause

Entertainment or Needless Anxiety?

I was at the Dutch Stallion Show watching the ‘VSN Cup’, a dressage test for stallions, where they had added quite a remarkable element to the judging of the test. 

At the end of each test, the audience got the opportunity to rate it by applauding. The organization recorded the decibels and the rider who had gotten the loudest applause would get another prize. 

As you can imagine, that resulted in a LOT of noise while the horses were still in the arena.  Want to know what I think of this? Then keep on reading.

''It's a human thing''

We love to show our enthusiasm when watching a competition, whether it’s at a local horse show or a big event. It’s our way of getting excited about something. 

It’s natural for us to get into the spirit of things. But we have to be aware that it’s a human thing.

The difficult part is that of course, the organizers and people that are trying to do the good thing for the sport, are doing their best to create a good vibe. And where the problem lies is people not understanding what it means to the horse. 

''It's a human thing''

We love to show our enthusiasm when watching a competition, whether it’s at a local horse show or a big event. It’s our way of getting excited about something. 

It’s natural for us to get into the spirit of things. But we have to be aware that it’s a human thing.

The difficult part is that of course, the organizers and people that are trying to do the good thing for the sport, are doing their best to create a good vibe. And where the problem lies is people not understanding what it means to the horse. 

''It's a human thing''

We love to show our enthusiasm when watching a competition, whether it’s at a local horse show or a big event. It’s our way of getting excited about something. 

It’s natural for us to get into the spirit of things. But we have to be aware that it’s a human thing.

The difficult part is that of course, the organizers and people that are trying to do the good thing for the sport, are doing their best to create a good vibe. And where the problem lies is people not understanding what it means to the horse. 

''What does it mean for the horse?''

While our entertainment can be pretty exciting for us as humans, what we may not realize is that our applause might cause immense panic for the horses. 

Horses are built with an instinctive fear of loud noises and bright lights. All those things are completely foreign to a horse and also incredibly threatening.

At a show of this nature, all of those things come together all at once.

''You're basically putting them in their own horror movie.''

And the other factor is, nobody is preparing their horses for those things. When your horse doesn’t have the knowledge and the information on how to handle situations like that, you’re basically putting them into their own horror movie.

The shows are getting bigger, the music is getting louder which is all the more exciting for us humans. But at the same time, the horses are not having more education about how to manage such environments. 

The horses these days are more expressive, more sensitive and more athletic. And what comes with that is a higher level of natural instict. 

While the development of technology rapidly increases and our shows naturally become more impressive in a way that to us humans seems normal, or horses are becoming all the more traumatised.

''You're basically putting them in their own horror movie.''

And the other factor is, nobody is preparing their horses for those things. When your horse doesn’t have the knowledge and the information on how to handle situations like that, you’re basically putting them into their own horror movie.

The shows are getting bigger, the music is getting louder which is all the more exciting for us humans. But at the same time, the horses are not having more education about how to manage such environments. 

The horses these days are more expressive, more sensitive and more athletic. And what comes with that is a higher level of natural instict. 

 

While the development of technology rapidly increases and our shows naturally become more impressive in a way that to us humans seems normal, or horses are becoming all the more traumatised.

''The internal instincts are telling them to get the hell out of there''

These days you often hear: ”Oh yeah, the horse was running a bit, but the rider could get him under control, it was nothing.”

But I wonder if people realize that when a horse puts his head up and flees the scene, or is pumping out 5 laps of extended trot, or passaging like a cat on a hot tin roof, in reaction to the pressure in the environment, that there is an internal panic in that horse. His heart rate and physical reactions are relative to a natural last resort survival situation.

When a horse is going into a tension-contraction reflex through a moment of stress, the internal instincts are telling them to get the hell out of there.

''Now we're putthing them into environments where that is becoming a constant thing''

If they’re in an natural environment and a preditor came, and the brid flew up and the horse could freely run away and have a certain level of panic where his heart rate and his blood pressure is going up a little bit, that’s momentary. 

Now we’re putting them into environments where that is becoming a constant thing. 
Because we haven’t thaught them what to do with themselves, we’re not spending time on preparing them to go into these environments. 

We are preaching one thing about horse’s welfair and doing all the good things for the horse, but at the same time blindly putting our horses in situations where they are forced to be in a very stressful traumatic experience.
 
So I believe it’s better to not reward our horses with applause.

''Now we're putting them into environments where that is becoming a constant thing''

If they’re in an natural environment and a preditor came, and the horse could freely run away and have a certain level of panic where his heart rate and his blood pressure is going up a little bit, that’s only momentary.

Now we’re putting them into environments where that is becoming a constant state for long periods.

Because we haven’t thaught them what to do with themselves, we’re not spending time on preparing them to go into these environments.

We are preaching one thing about horse’s welfare and doing all the good things for the horse, but at the same time blindly putting our horses into situations where they are forced to endure a very stressful and traumatic experience.

So I believe if we are not spending the time to prepare and teach our horses how to manage them selves in such extreme environments, we should definitely rethink they way we run and the way we celebrate at the shows, that is in the best interests of the horse.

''Now we're putting them into environments where that is becoming a constant thing''

If they’re in an natural environment and a preditor came, and the horse could freely run away and have a certain level of panic where his heart rate and his blood pressure is going up a little bit, that’s only momentary. 

Now we’re putting them into environments where that is becoming a constant state for long periods. 

Because we haven’t thaught them what to do with themselves, we’re not spending time on preparing them to go into these environments. 

We are preaching one thing about horse’s welfare and doing all the good things for the horse, but at the same time blindly putting our horses into situations where they are forced to endure a very stressful and traumatic experience.

So I believe if we are not spending the time to prepare and teach our horses how to manage them selves in such extreme environments, we should definitely rethink they way we run and the way we celebrate  at the shows, that is in the best interests of the horse.

What do you think?

I am really curious about your perspective on this topic. How do you experience this? 

Let me know in the comments below! 

How to control your own level of tension

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How to control your own level of tension when your horse spooks

If you have a horse that’s a little bit nervous or that’s prone to spooking, your anticipation to that spook is creating tension in your body. It’s a natural reaction, but it will definitely create tension and anticipation in your horse’s body as well.

So what can you do to prevent that?

You can try to create a simulation of the situation where you think of your horse spooking and then going through the steps of what you would do in that situation.

This is how you can do that. 

The next time you’re riding your horse in the arena, pretend there is a scary corner and ride your horse towards it.

When you arrive there, and even though your horse hasn’t spooked, just think: ‘My horse has spooked’ and start going through the steps of creating a relaxed posture and therefore a relaxed mindset.

Your body will then go into the action phase where you go through the motions of what you might do in that situation. In that way you’re taking positive action in knowing what it is you have to do.

When you’re doing this simulation, you’re preparing yourself and creating in your mind the knowledge of what action you need to take in that moment.

It’s like a fake fire alarm. Everybody does a drill and when they hear the alarm, they know that they have to go outside the building towards the meeting place.

Now you can feel what it’s like to gain control of the situation. So unconsciously you start to feel confident that you know what you have to do the next time your horse spooks.

Secondly, you have to tell yourself that you’re not going into this action plan unless there really is a fire.

I understand you want to be prepared, but don’t enter the building and practice the drill every time. Just wait until there actually is a moment where it requires you to take action.

Therefore you’re not preempting the expectation that the horse is going to spook. You have an action plan and now you’re just going to focus on your riding and what you’re doing.

That’s relieving that tension in you and giving you purpose and knowledge of knowing what you need to do when there actually is an emergency.

It takes away that anticipation of trying to prevent it. Because when you know what to do, you no longer have to prevent it.

Do you have problems with tension during shows and competitions?

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When your horse pushes into you and lacks balance [video]

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When your horse pushes into you and lacks balance

The first thing I do when I get a horse in for training is to take notice of the dynamic between the horse and the owner. 

What’s important here is to not just look at the horse alone.

And to not only focus on solving the horse’s insecurities and problems without taking into account the role of the owner. 

It’s what I’ve done in the past and it turns out I was doing horses an injustice.

Because it’s about the combination.

I’ve heard it countless times: one rider has difficulties getting on and the other one doesn’t think about it and has no problem at all.

One has difficulties getting the horse on the trailer and someone else has no difficulties at all.

So it’s interesting to see how the conversation between the horse and the owner goes. Like with this combination at TRT Live.

What do we see?

From the beginning when I look at the combination, I try to feel how this conversation is going and what positions they are both in.

I generally see people having one out of three roles: the mummy, the dictator or the mentor.

What role do you think the girl takes on from the short clip above?

Did you see her response when her horse dragged her out of the arena?

The dictator would have tried to correct the horse, believing the horse was making her look stupid.

The girl, however, was trying to give her horse reassurance by patting her and basically saying: “Don’t worry, it’s okay.”

But sometimes the ‘threat’ outweighs the reassurance. You can try to tell your horse it’s okay, but they might not believe you and become even more insecure.

It’s important to understand what role you typically take on. And also what your thoughts are and how you enter the space of conversation.

Want to know what steps I took with this horse to reduce his insecurities and him pushing into you?

Because we received so many positieve responses to our previous case study we shared (remember the guy with the pony?), we decided to share this one as well.

You can watch it here:

I hope you enjoyed this training session and that it has given you inspiration!

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Goal setting for the new year – what’s really important to you?

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Setting Goals for the New Year

What is really important to YOU?

We are often led to believe we should be doing a certain thing with our horses. In a certain way, at a certain level, in a certain amount of time.

These beliefs have been congregated over time from past experiences, memories and knowledge we’ve acquired.

But from all the things you do with your horse and the beliefs you have about yourself and your horse, what has really come from you? In what way has your environment influenced you and is it truly what you believe and what you want?

What really gives you fulfillment when you’re with your horse?

This is important to know when you’re setting goals for the new year. So let’s find out by answering the questions below.

Getting Started

Below you’ll find questions around several topics to find out what’s truly fulfilling to you. 

I advice you to take out a piece of paper and write down the answers.

Also, take your time to answer these questions. Sometimes you need to dig a little bit deeper to find the true answer.  

Your dreams when you were young

The older we get, the more we shape our beliefs based on all the influences around us. However, do you remember how care-free you may have been as a child? Very often, going back to that time period can tell us a lot about what gives us joy. 

Dreams when you were young

What were your dreams and ambitions related to horses when you were younger?

Joy and flow

What did you enjoy doing around horses when you were younger? This can be when you were a child or even a few years ago. What activities made you lose track of time and get in a 'flow'? Try to list as many activities as you can possibly remember.

Sure, if you enjoyed playing cowboys and Indians as a child, I wouldn’t be surprised if that isn’t exactly what you aspire doing today. But very often there are certain elements in those activities that can be translated to things you would enjoying doing as an adult.  

Evaluating the activities

When you look at the activities listed, can you find certain similarities? Are there elements or characteristics to those activities that apparantly makes you happy?

Evaluation of the current situation

Let’s take inventory of how you’re doing right now. 

Dreams as an of today

What are your current dreams and ambitions? What are you hoping to achieve? What are your goals?

Daily or weekly activities

What do your daily or weekly activities around your horse look like?

Activities in relation to your goals

What activities are required to achieve your goals? Do they match the activities listed in the previous assignment? If not, what other activities 'should' you be doing?

Evaluating the activities

Of all the activities listed, both the ones you're actually doing and the ones you 'should' be doing to achieve your goals, what are the activities you enjoy doing? What are the activities, or moments in those activities, that give you fulfillment?

It could be the case that you now find out you’re actually pursuing a goal that require activities and actions you don’t necessarily enjoy. 

Of course, sometimes you have to undertake actions that are less enjoyable in order to achieve a certain goal. But when they make up most of your time, you know you’re not on the path that suits you. 

Activities in the past versus activities as of today

If you look back at the characteristics of the activities you enjoyed doing when you were younger, do you see those characteristics in your current activities as well? What could you change to your activities to implement those characteristics?

Looking at all the influences

We’ve looked at your past and the current situation. The next step is to look at all the things that may have had an influence on how you perceive yourself as a rider and what your beliefs are regarding the level you’re at and what you should be striving for.

The influence of the People around you

One of the most important influences on your beliefs come from the people around you. Think of relatives, but also the people at your stable or riding club and your trainer. This can have a positive influence, but it can also influence you in a way that, unconsciously, you’re not being true to yourself. That you’re living someone else’s life and dreams.

Influential relatives

What do your relatives consider to be a good or successful rider? What do they consider you 'should' be doing with your horse and how you should spend your time ideally?

The role of your Trainer

What does your trainer consider to be a good or successful rider? What does your trainer consider you 'should' be doing with your horse and how you should spend your time ideally?

The people at your stable and riding club

What do the people at your stable or riding club consider to be a good or successful rider? What do they consider you 'should' be doing with your horse and how you should spend your time ideally?

Evaluation

When you look at the answers to the previous three questions, do you see similarities? In what way has it influenced your beliefs, goals and activities? And in what way does it influence the thoughts you're having when you're with your horse?

The influence of Social Media

Social media can be a very inspiring place, but it can also, unconsciously, lead to comparisons based on the level you should be at and how you should be working with your horse.

Influential equestrians

List the top five equestrians or equestrian organizations that you follow mostly on social media.

Top 5 influential equestrians and equestrian organizations
1. ...
2. ...
3. ...
4. ...
5. ...

Influential equestrians

Behind each name, write down in what way this person or organization inspires you in a positive ánd negative way and how it has influences your beliefs and actions.

Sometimes you find that you’re following people that might make you feel insecure or dissatisfied about your progress, how you are as a rider and the level you’re at. This can, of course, inspire you to do better. But be careful to check if it’s really what you truly want.

Social Media Detox

Consider going through your social feed and unfollow equestrians that don't inspire you in a positive way. Also consider limiting the time you're spending on social media if you feel it's not serving you.

The influence of your Horses

What you want to achieve with your horse and how you feel about working with your horse, is also influenced by previous experiences you’ve had with other horses and through comparisons with past success and failure with your current horse. 

Experiences with previous horses

How do the experiences with previous horses and the achievements have an influence on your expectations towards yourself as a rider and your horse? How does it influence your beliefs?

Comparison to past success and failures

How do past success or failures with your current horse influence you on a daily basis? How does it influence the thoughts you're having while you're with your horse?

Remember that the only things that matters when you’re with your horse is ‘now’. Not what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow. The real truth comes from your horse in the present moment.

Final thoughts

When you look back at all the questions you’ve answered, what are your biggest insights and what actions are you going to take to live the life you truly want?

Insights

What are your biggest insights from answering all of the questions?

Changes

What changes are you going to make in you goals, ambitions and/or activities?

Goals and ambitions

Now you know what truly fulfills you and brings you joy, what are your goals and ambitions for the new year?

We’ve looked at what may influence your thoughts, beliefs and expectations towards yourself as a rider and towards your horse.

But the real truth is that all of these thoughts derived from these places are totally irellevant to the current situation and relationship you have with your horse. 

Because none of those outside influences are You or your Horse!

The only, real truth is in the now…

Deep down, if you’re being truthful, you know what gives you fulfillment and what feels right.

Follow and your own journey and don’t forget to be happy with your progress.

– Tristan 

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Participate in your horse’s conversation

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Participate in your horse’s conversation

Something important to remember when working with horses that you should give them the chance to participate in the conversation, too.

It shouldn’t be you talking all the time, giving the horse no chance to pitch in.

And it also shouldn’t be you letting the horse talk over you all the time, dictating when you can or can’t speak.

I coached Melissa and Gorelja through their first free conversation together. You can find their session in this blog!

Enter the conversation space

Depending on the type of horse, you start by creating or redirecting energy.

In this session, Melissa really had to motivate Gorelja to match her energy levels.

Through interaction, like looking at each other, turning, and stopping for a scratch, you build the interaction between you and your horse.

You can watch that progress in the video below:

Interact with your horse

When you have your horse focusing on you, you’ll notice they will start to match their energy levels with you.

Through joining in with you, they’ll find that interaction with you is fun, enjoyable, and rewarding.

It gives her the opportunity to also bring something to the conversation.

You can see that interaction in the video below:

Build on the natural dialogue

When conversing with a horse freely, it’s important that you don’t influence the direction of the conversation.

It annuls any kind of expectation from your side, exchanging it for appreciation.

You want to try and follow the natural flow of the horse’s language and dialogue.

Because when it’s naturally there, it can grow by itself.

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