Natural horsemanship is an approach to horsemanship that emphasizes understanding and working with the horse’s natural instincts and behavior. It focuses on developing a partnership based on trust, clear communication, and mutual respect, rather than relying solely on force or dominance. You can read our blog post to find out more.

Traditional horsemanship often involves more rigid and hierarchical methods, where the horse is expected to comply through dominance and submission. Natural horsemanship, on the other hand, prioritizes communication, understanding, and empathy. It seeks to create a willing and cooperative partnership with the horse by working in harmony with its natural instincts.

Yes, natural horsemanship principles can be applied to all horses, regardless of breed or discipline. The techniques and principles focus on understanding and respecting the horse’s nature, which can benefit horses in various activities, such as trail riding, dressage, jumping, racing and more.

Natural horsemanship employs a range of techniques, including groundwork exercises, liberty work, desensitization, and balanced riding. These techniques aim to develop the horse’s responsiveness, willingness, and focus, while also fostering a strong partnership and clear communication between horse and rider.

The timeline for seeing results in natural horsemanship varies depending on various factors, such as the horse’s previous experiences, temperament, and the consistency of training. Some horses may show progress quickly, while others may require more time and patience. It is important to remember that natural horsemanship is a continuous journey of learning and building trust, and progress should be measured in the context of the individual horse. Added to this, the energy and patience levels of the trainer, have a large impact on the horse’s progression.

While professional guidance can be beneficial, it is possible to practice natural horsemanship on your own. Many resources, including books, videos, and online communities, offer valuable insights and guidance for those seeking to learn and apply natural horsemanship techniques. However, if you encounter specific challenges or have safety concerns, it is advisable to seek assistance from a qualified natural horsemanship instructor or trainer. If you’d like to train with Wayne, then contact us today.

Practice, practice and more practice. Committing to consistent training not only elicits results with the horse, but allows the trainer to feel more relaxed and confident when reading the horse’s signals and responses.

Firstly, ensure that you are relaxed. Be aware of your surroundings and the fact that a horse hears and sees a lot more than humans and they care fundamentally flight animals so if there are things going on around you, your horse’s first instincts will be to stay alert, for it’s survival.

Absolutely. You should be able to move your horse left, right, forward and backwards on the ground, before even getting on. All groundwork training increases the connection and horses’s responses when ridden.

A horse might move around for various reasons and it’s important to consider the situation that you’re in before determining why they’re not standing still. They could either be nervous or scared of their surroundings, be in physical discomfort or they might be bored and looking for something to do. Another factor to consider is whether or not they’re lacking in training and might not understand your cue to stand still. If this is the case, then get in contact with us about how groundwork training might be able to help them learn to stand still.