Does your horse:
1. Tune you out
2. Lean on the bit
3. Doesn’t listen
If this is you, something could be missing in your relationship with your horse.
Here’s a curious thing: you don’t have to know what is missing in order to figure it out. Once you acknowledge that there is a gap between you and your horse, the gap gets smaller and your horse starts to tune you in more often.
Here’s a easy exercise to help your horse tune in to you more often. Take 5 minutes to do it and struggle less and connect more. You can do this in groundwork with your horse or in the saddle.
What you might expect to change after this exercise:
- Your perspective and how you think about your horse will be different
- You may see more about what it’s like to be your horse
- You will be less likely to make assumptions that are incorrect
- Your aids will be softer with your horse.
- You won’t get as frustrated
- You may understand something your horse wants you to know
The Exercise:
- Read through these instructions. Then set things up In the area where you’re going with your horse. Choose a starting point and two other places (about 12 feet away from each other) where you will stop with your horse. You can mark the places with a cone, or use natural marking points such as a pile of poop, a rock, a tree or a bush.
- When you’re ready, Go with with horse to the starting point. Breathe in slowly and breath out slowly 3 times.
- Walk your horse to Point B. Stop and name one thing that your horse appreciates about you. Say it out slowly loud as you look at your horse.
- Walk your horse to Point C. Stop and name a second thing that your horse appreciates about you. Say it out slowly loud as you look at your horse.
- Return to your starting point. Stop and name a third thing that your horse appreciates about you. Say it slowly out loud as you look at your horse.
- Breathe in slowly and breath out slowly 3 times.
- Then go work and play with your horse as you usually do and/or as you’ve planned.
After you do the exercise, be sure to notice:
- Indications, no matter how small, that your horse appreciates something you do
- How you react and what comes to mind if you notice he appreciates you
- If and how you make a change in a usual way of doing things
- How much you are noticing
Do you have questions about this exercise? What did you discover? What does you horse appreciate about you? I’d love to know! Post below, or on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/marykaydressage