You aren't the horse trainer but you're teaching your horse

"It is okay that you aren't the horse trainer, your horse still recognizes your efforts." 

What is Alternative Horsemanship?

I was recently asked about the "Alternative Horsemanship" and why I use that to describe what I do. So I thought I'd share with the group my answer...
The interpretation of "Alternative" Horsemanship is relative to your current perception and word association... as the human student's awareness and recognition of believing the horse's communication evolve, so does their translation of what Alternative "is."

Time and Horses

Enjoying the moment...

Even though there's always something "to do" on the farm, I've been intentionally working towards slowing my own thoughts down.

Yes, I check one thing off the list and add four more projects.

But that is irrelevant to the horses. As is time.

Learning to recognize and change how we respond to triggers that create an "urgency" in our own human patterns of thoughts, emotions and behaviors can completely alter the relationship with the horse.

The human can still have clarity, intention, and a goal, yet without adding the chaos that appears when the Conversation with the horse becomes a dictatorship rather than two-way communication.

Starting a horse under saddle

 I spy... Can you find the new arrival? 

He and his human counterpart recently participated in a Full Immersion Clinic and she decided to bring him in for training to be started under saddle. 

 His past is unknown as she acquired him at auction a year ago. The only thing clear was he was very reactive to the world around him. 

 Part of my goal to help prepare him for life is to help him learn how to think through scenarios, search for options, and to keep trying in a reasonable manner, even if what he originally offered wasn't what was desired.  

One of the things in seeing a horse like this is a reminder of when I come across horses that are as cute as he is, is that often the human's emotions have clouded the perception of what the horse is expressing in his own emotions and is being reflected in their physical behavior. 

This causes unintentional filtering of how a person interprets horse behavior, causing passive support towards the horse when he really needs proactive interaction and guidance. 

Would you like help in assessing your horse to clarify how to approach working with him? Find out more HERE

The horse's head postion

Often I talk about the Conversation with the horse. This applies throughout any interaction with the horse. Recently I was asked about correct head postion. 

The Horse: Valuing the Whole Experience

Decades ago I was an apprentice and working student at a variety of facilities in both North America and in the UK. 

Creating a willing horse by teaching them to search

The "search" is when we ask the horse to learn how to focus mentally and then physically offer a specific response, in other words, much of our Conversations with the horse is about them searching for what we are presenting.

Conversations with Horses

 

In the horse world I find there can be a lot fear, negativity and critique. This can be overwhelming, frustrating and depressing for many.