Learning About Horse - Horse Training - Creating Connection

Creating Connection

Getting connection through changes of focus

What makes horses feel relaxed

• safety
• feel safe in herd
• awareness of whole herd
• we do not notice things
• watching your horse
• eyes, ears, muzzle, tail, back, 
• if we tell them we are not aware than we tell them we are not park of their safety

1st Exercise - getting their interest and attention

what you need to do from the very start

goal	aids	what you do	horse's response
you want horse to know that you are aware of them	feet moving gently wave flag	start 200 feet away  move your feet walk at angle towards them (away from their head) gently wave flag
eventually horse will want to find out what you are doing and will come to you mentally connect to flag		STOP TURN  WALK away WAIT min or two  repeat	soon as they acknowledge you ear eye focus  feet
		start to walk around 1 side	if attention is on you
		head off on an angle away and try to get their head to come if not start over	head does not come
		keep walking in angle	head comes
		arc away from them  (tends to draw them to you)	feet untrack
		arc towards	feet stuck

WARNING - have no expectations - you are NOT expecting them to follow you

if you are doing the work and your focus is on the outcome then you are not doing it

NOT trying to GET horse to look at you - just trying to get the horse interested in you

Rituals of Connections

 Ways to build connection with your horses

• grazing to create connection
• stand with your feet in the same direction
• rapport - mirroring him
• put hand on wither
• focus on breathing/birds
• passive leadership
• allowing the horse to call the shots
• you move when they move
• now you take over the leadership roll
• for for a little walk
• then return to letting him be leader
• go back and forth with who is the leader
• leading to create connection
• match horse's footsteps
• you call the speed
• scratching to create connection
• shut down horses
• stress indicators
• walk up start to scratch them on neck right under mane
• look at ears and eyes
• reward anything 
• flick ear
• stop and step backwards
• turn eye
• stop and step backwards
• when it feels good
• stop and step backwards
• head wobbling
• stop and step backwards
• stop when they make a change when they are less inside their head
• soften and connect with you
• use hands and gloves
• not expecting anything to happen after that
• lick and chew, muzzle, twitching
• it is NOT about them doing anything for you
• about them getting out of THEIR heads
• its about US seeing THEIR changes