Respect Starts Here!

Respect is when a horse loves you like his mama and follows you around like his best friend. When you have clear boundaries without tension youve got it!
It starts with us. We need to have the right attitude to really have remarkable success with horses. When we get this right special connections can happen between a horse and a human that are indescribable. We have all witnessed these special moments such as at the Olympics when one of our top riders looks as if he is one with his horse. You will know when it has happened to you because you wont be able to tell where you stop and your horse begins. This all sounds very cool but what are the steps necessary to achieve this goal?

This article focuses on the very basics of daily care and handling. These are daily rituals that will change the way your horse looks at you and more importantly change the way you look at your horse. I picked these specific exercises because they are things that are done every single day. In time these concepts will become habitual behaviours.
Great horsemanship starts with the way you think about horses we spoke about this in last issues article and how you apply this to each task you accomplish from riding and training to catching and turning your horse out. These positive daily rituals will seep into every facet of your life and your horses too. 
So lets get started! Here are four areas to focus on which will help you become a better leader.
Personal Space
This can be looked at from two points of view your personal space and that of your horse.
Horses are herd animals. The lead horse is largely determined by which horse controls the feet. If a horse cant be moved off its food he or she is typically the leader. If a horse can move all the other horses off their food then that horse is definitely the leader.
Horses decide who the leader is both with people and with other horses very subtly andor aggressively. With a person the horse can subtly give you a hard enough rub that he shoves you over a few feet. With another horse he can aggressively remove hair with a strong kick or bite. It is all about body position and who is the worthy leader. Remember that horses are prey animals for survival they