The relationship and work that a human does with a horse transforms into a thing of beauty once one begins to look at the things you do with him through his eyes. It is not only possible, but also necessary to learn to tap into the horses mind to achieve true connection and partnership. When you get that first glimpse of the world from the horse’s perspective, you may find that they see things quite differently than the way you thought they did. It is only natural to think that horses understand the world in the same way people do.
If you have ever been injured by a horse or found yourself in a position where you, your horse or both were in a potentially dangerous situation, you might come to the realization that there may be something lacking in your horsemanship skills in order for what occurred to take place. On the other hand, you may have chosen to blame the horse for your misfortune and punish him for his behavior. The flaw in the latter choice is that the horse did exactly what he knew to do in that instant. Since you were the one with him at the time, who do you think helped cause the horse to decide how he should solve the problem? It is truly amazing what a horse will give if he understands what you are asking. He will go to the limits of his physical capabilities and even beyond to give to you. It is equally as amazing what can happen if he does not. The secret is communication through “feel.”
Katelyn’s goal is to teach you how to use the horse’s language of feel to connect with your horse. Feel is how horses perceive and understand the information you give them. Feel is how they show you whether your communication was effective. This is what your horse has been trying to tell you every time his subsequent action differs from what you ask of him.
When you start feeling for your horse and he in return starts feeling of you, is where the fun begins! That is where the road to true horsemanship begins.
