monitor the emotions of the horse, but do not fixate

Monitor the emotions of the horse, but do not fixate.

Your focus and intent must be grounded in what you are asking the horse to do.

It is not uncommon to become fixated on judging how the horse feels.

If you do this, it can create a barrier in your relationship with that horse because your fixation is often a desperate desire to control the horse’s emotions and make them predictable. But this is never going to happen.

Accepting the reality of uncertainty and the transient state of emotions is necessary to work with horses. To be honest, it is actually necessary in any relationship, whether it be with your horse, partner, or friend!

When I work with a horse, three (3) things are happening.

Firstly, my focus and intention are on where I am guiding or riding them. This ensures I am clear, consistent, and present for the horse, which makes me easier to understand and follow.

Second, I am monitoring how they feel, which provides feedback on what I am doing and how I am guiding them or what I am asking them to do.

Finally, there is a sense of knowing inside of me. A knowing that, however the horse feels, I have the ability to handle the situation. Plus, a knowing that emotions are transient. Whatever a horse might be feeling now, I can influence it, and it will change and return to a good place.

If you are stuck, the self awareness that you are indeed hyper-focusing on emotions and growing the sense of knowing inside you is what makes the difference.