Everyday I am amazed at so many people learning partnership and communication with their horses but more so I am appalled at the amount of professionals in our industry that are still missing the true connection of partnership and herd mentality. I recently had a conversation with a "professional" in the horse industry that blew my socks off. The situation was about a "hot blooded horse" who was thin but not emaciated, the comment was regarding energy, lethargy, training and attitude. The "professional" basically said that a normally hot/spirited horse (after some natural horsemanship) will not act calm and quietly (like other breeds) moving about with their heads down just following the human alpha, if they are fat and abundantly healthy. That same horse must have something wrong with it if it acts calmly and not "full of fire". Why do we as humans insist on creating high energy horses with our attitudes, energy and misunderstanding?

I watch Thoroughbreds, Arabians and "hot" horses all day long and I watch them walk (not run) around the pastures with their heads hanging low just sauntering along and grazing, not on alert or acting silly. That is the natural normal disposition of the herd animal with respect to his/her alpha leader (save the energy for a life threatening situation or playtime). I want the horses to act that exact same way with me when in halter and tack as they do with their leaders (not herd mates) when out to pasture. So many people insist on creating a "high-strung" reactive horse when they truly want a calm, thinking horse. When and after they catch their horse and it is not acting "hot" then something is wrong with the horse in their minds (even though it was not acting that way before being approached). There is definitely something wrong with this picture but it is not with the horse, it is their perception and lack of understanding of a true alpha and herd mentality. You can come out into my pastures and see many types of horses including "hot" horses and they all will act like calm well seasoned quarter horses. That is a true partner, one who is waiting for the next request or job and not anxiously awaiting for the next "command" from the confused predator trying to humanize them. Halter or not we want the same calm, respectful horse not Jekyll and Hyde.

We all know that the horse is Never Wrong so if your horse is acting "full of energy" then step back and look in the mirror and find out what are you doing wrong! They surely were not acting like that before you walked into the pasture!                                _________________________________________________________

Food for Thought: Do you catch your horse or does your horse catch you when walking into the pasture?