I consider the most important part of riding and horsemanship to be having a good relationship with the horse.  The most basic part of any healthy relationship is the development of mutual trust, respect and confidence.  This is the foundation on which everything we do with horses needs to be built.  It`s the surest road to achieving whatever your personal desires are about being with horses.

When both parties in a relationship – horse or human – believe that the other always has their best interest at heart and would not intentionally hurt them, they can choose to trust each other.  And, through that mutual trust, confidence grows because the fear of being hurt is reduced.  You and your horse have a partnership where you both know that your partner is looking out for you.

Unfortunately, mistrust is widespread and far too common between horses and humans.  Behaviours that frighten you – like bracing, resistance, ignoring your cues, exploding seemingly without warning or running away – happen when horses lack trust.  These behaviours are often described differently than as lack of trust.  The horse may be called fearful, sensitive, dull, hard-mouthed, lazy, spooky, hot … and the list of labels could go on.

When you`ve lost your confidence, you also lose your trust in your horse or in horses in general.  But, to gain your horse`s trust you first have to give him your trust.  So, even if you have the opportunity to work with a steady-eddie type of horse, if you haven`t worked through your own trust issues first, your old issues will eventually reappear and your confidence will decrease.

In this module, you will learn: