Recently I gave a clinic.  The name of this clinic was called Foundation with Versatility Flair.  At the end of this series, we had a little Versatility Show, one of which I judged.  Understand that I am NOT a real judge.  But I, for sure, felt confident enough to judge what I can teach. 

The feedback from my “judging” ideas prompted me to write this article.  Not in my defense, as I feel I don’t need to do that.  However, I really walked away from this experience feeling like people really and truly do not know what a soft, willing, confident horse looks like or feels like. 

My workshops, clinics and lessons all center around the rider’s and horse’s confidence in each other as well as working with whatever else comes up that day.   I break everything down into the smallest increments necessary for horse and rider so they can adapt to, understand and accept what is being offered to them.   Be it a turbo trot or slow trot, a tarp, a different way of sitting on the horse or whatever. 

When I study a horse and rider as a team.  I am FIRST looking at the horse.  What does his body language tell me?  Does he look like a time bomb waiting to go off?  Are his lips tight?  Is his tail tight or in a “J” shape?  Is he traveling with a hollow back and his head high?  Is he behind the bridle? Is he pushing through the bridle?  All these things and more, is what I am evaluating. 

THEN I look at the rider.  How can I change the rider to help the horse be more comfortable?  Perhaps the rider is clamping their legs on the horse.  Maybe their hips are closed vs being open and allowing the horse to go forward.  Are their hands light?   Is the rider clenching their jaw?  Are they hollow in their back or rounded?  Are they forcing, kicking or hurrying a horse through something?    

I’ve seen many tight horses and tight riders.  I’ve also seen several soft horses and soft riders.  This is the difference:

A tight rider/horse combo is NOT to pretty.  One or both of them is anxious, fighting and bracing on the other.  Mouths are gapping, ribs are pushing, and the tail is swishing.   The horse’s mouth exhibits excessive salivating in the mouth, causing frothy white salivating.  Or perhaps the mouth is dry as a bone.  The rider is anxious or heavy handed out of fear or a need to feel they have to dominate the horse.  Their legs are tight, their shoulders are tight.  Everyone and everything about this horse and rider is tight and bracey.

A soft rider and soft horse looks much different.  The horse has a soft eye, a willing presence and a swing to his gait.  He is neither rushing nor pushing.  He is staying between the reins and legs of his rider.  The rider is confident, soft back, soft eyes, open hips, soft hands on the reins. 

When approaching an object or a situation that causes concern for the horse, the rider is there as support and confidence for the horse.  The rider is a confident leader who intends to guide his horse through the adversity ahead without fighting him.  He is riding his horse with empathy.  He understands his horse’s concerns.  He knows how to help the horse mentally, emotionally and physically.  Keeping him safe and confident. 

So many riders do not fully understand just how much horse psychology is required when riding a horse that needs guidance.  Usually what happens is the person holds their breath and hopes for the best.  The rider doesn’t understand the horse’s way of thinking about this scary situation and doesn’t know how to stay calm themselves. 

Understand that a perfect horse and rider team is nearly NEVER perfect all the time.  Someone gets tight at some point.  Be it the horse or rider.  But guaranteed, if the rider isn’t aware of his bracing against his horse, for sure the horse won’t get soft.  The rider has to be aware and make a change so the horse can too. 

The other side to this is that there are horses out there that are more forgiving than others.  Meaning it will take more for the horse to get worried than just a tight rider.  But if you add adversity to this, someone needs to get it worked out and that responsibility falls on the rider to guide the horse. 

My goal is to teach people and show them the difference between a bracey horse and rider and a soft horse and rider.  Most people will chose the willing, soft horse that trusts them as their leader.  Most horse’s will chose the rider that promises to take their concerns into consideration and help them through a scary situation, not force them through it. 

Being a good leader for an animal with prey instincts that out weighs the human by hundreds of pounds and has the capability to cause us mental, emotional and physical grief is no small feat! 

But by learning horse psychology, by exercising ourselves mentally, emotionally and physically we can be the leaders our horses need in the face of adversity.