I believe that people need to understand that horses don’t love us unconditionally, like dogs do. They require us to reach out to them, to protect them, give them guidance and sometimes just leave them alone to be horses.  Because this is how horses think and respond to us, it is important that we remember that riding is supposed to be fun for everyone, both the horse and the rider. When a horse is not having fun, when he is not feeling respected and understood we begin a battle and riding is not supposed to a battle it is supposed to be a coming together of two beings toward a common goal, through flawless communication.

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Horses are perfect mirrors of ourselves in that they reflect our emotions when we spend time with them. They can push our buttons if they don’t feel we are 100% present while we are with them, they want to be out in the pasture grazing and playing with their friends, so if we are keeping them away from their lives we had better be present for them in the process. Stress from work, school, family or a competition schedule is not their problem and should not be put on them. By freeing yourself from these stresses while you are with them you open yourself up to a wonderful experience: that joy you always dreamed of when you thought about horses. It is my job to facilitate this communication process to help my students understand what they are communicating to their horses and how their horses are responding to them, it is like being a translator. Once we all understand each other we can set goals and reach them.