Human Intention and Horse Behavior by Alternative Horsemanship

The Human Intention

Until humans figure out what we are bringing to the equine partnership, we cannot offer the horse clear, intentional, specific, and segmented communication they so often need.
I just finished teaching an Alternative Horsemanship six-day clinic and there was a student who was retelling his morning interaction with the horse. Things had not gone as he expected, and he was negatively referring to the horse's behavior in human emotional terms.
While talking the horse was saddled and on the lead rope. There was lots of slack in the rope, and the man was facing me as he spoke, with the horse a bit behind him. While he was talking, the horse fussed, bounced and moved around in slow chaos.
Then I started talking about our emotions influencing our intentions. How even if we weren't being aggressive, the horse could decipher the intent.
As the man start thinking through this, the horse started moving less. Then as the human was pondering and voicing how to change his own thoughts, the horse started yawning, chewing, yawning, blew his nose, softened his posture, and yawned more.
The man had never moved, nor changed how he was loosely holding the rope.
Everyone watching couldn't believe the complete shift in the horse; it did not even look like the same animal.
So the question is never if the horse could, it is would most people "go there" in being able to openly assess themselves in order to become more available to work WITH the horse.

Interested in learning more? Check out the recent Remote Horse Coach webinars to refine your awareness and intention.