Working with horses has helped me to evolve, not only as a horseman, but as a better human being as well. People often provide me with lengthy descriptions of the problems that they are having with their horses. My focus is not on what a horse can’t do, but instead I choose to focus on what he can do. I focus on the relationship that you share with your horse. If a horse trusts you and the two of you have a working bond, little training will be required to accomplish most activities.

When you focus on trying to get your horse to perform whatever you ask of him, you are entering into the “trainer’s mind” which takes you away from focusing on the relationship and the connection that the two of you share. Being in the “trainer’s mind” and having an agenda distracts us from listening to our horses. This causes us to sacrifice our connection and as a result we lose our connection with our equine partners.

I must admit that I also have been a victim of “trainer’s mind” and I would like to share with you a learning experience that I had thanks to my wonderful horse named Shadow. Last year I was preparing for a clinic at my farm. People were due to arrive within a few hours and I was feeling really pressed for time. In preparation for a clinic, so many things have to be done at the last minute. Cleaning and grooming horses is one of those last minute activities. I had washed four of my horse and still needed to wash Shadow. As I took him out of his stall and walked him to the wash pit to be cleaned, he drew back and would not go forward. I strongly urged him to get into the wash pit. He drew back even more. At this point, I was getting very irritated by his behavior. He had previously walked into the wash pit on numerous occasions with no problem at all. I began to get angry with Shadow. I picked up my crop and admonished Shadow in a most unpleasant and demanding tone to “GET INTO THE WASH PIT!” Shadow backed up and would have nothing to do with it. Despite my anger and frustration, I paused to ponder the situation. Although Shadow and I normally have an amazing connection, I had an agenda to wash him and had not taken the time to bond with him. I put the crop down, collected myself, and began to rub Shadow to make a connection with him. After a minute or so, I kindly asked if he would go into the wash pit and he willingly walked right in! At that moment he knew what had been lacking and I am grateful to him for helping me realize what was missing. I learned a huge lesson that day thanks to Shadow. I love knowing that he requires a connection with me regardless of whether or not I have a to-do list. He is the keeper of our connection and I know I can trust him to keep me grounded. It’s a real love affair.

If you would like to learn to connect to your horse in an amazing way, I will be offering clinics at my farm in North Carolina on the following dates: April 24-26, 2015 and September 25-27, 2015. You can also check my website at http://www.lindajsalinas.com/liberty-horse-training to view my schedule for alternate venues. As I often state, connection is everything. Join me in the journey of creating a connection with your horse that will fulfill your heart’s desire.

Off to connect with my herd…..have a great rest of the week.

Linda

Horses are Genuine Keepers of The Connection