There have been endless discussions over the centuries as to whether the horse is intelligent or not, and if so to what degree, man generally making these assumptions based upon his own values and view of what intelligence is.
However, if YOU suddenly found yourself on all fours, with clubs instead if hands, you would discover that this position is severely limiting, a handicap such that your human values and points of view would undergo radical change.
The horse has been man's "Servant" for centuries and has survived his abuses to this day, his role having become mainly for entertainment or competition.
Thus, it is up to Man to enlist their horse’s co-operation, for any horse that is willing and happy becomes a pleasure for both to work together.
Riders get a dream in their minds, an imaginary picture of how they think they would like to look. They then try to get their horse to "live up" to their expectations of this imagined picture, which only too often leads to impatience and broken down mental & physical horses ; such an approach is a recipe for disaster because this route can never lead to the acquisition of a TRUE base.
In this day and age, there are many "riders", but few "Horsemen". Being a Horseman intimates that the total welfare of the animal is taken into consideration : daily care, body, riding … and the Mind. The horse should be a volunteer, not a Slave.
A horseman will learn to fully know and understand the horse, which means that such a person will dedicate time and effort to the analysis and research needed to achieve this goal, and learn to direct rather than dominate.
This research can be likened to a complicated puzzle. It is built in sections, sometimes the right "piece" being rejected because the whole is not yet built. With persistence and the constant search for a solution, eventually the "whole" will be achieved.
Riders must learn to ride from the "Horse up" rather than from the "Rider down", remaining forward thinking, therefore maintaining loose, flexible and supple joints to enhance the horses motion.
The well trained horse will look "naturally light & lively", for what looks easy is usually "right".
The horse is very telepathic, constantly "interpreting" the messages sent via the rider. It is the riders duty to develop the personal determination to sustain the necessary "drive" at a level which produces the natural desire in the horse to move forward.
Because the Horse is very telepathic, they instinctively know whether they must
produce or not. Many people "speak" the right words but cannot produce the result physically, there being quite a chasm between words and meaning.
An insecure rider is generally stiff, resorting to gripping and clutching, which to the horse is akin to a predator. Being thusly restricted in his movement, the horse’s natural defense responses are aroused and some degree or another of anxiety is the result, all impediments to the horse's feeling of security and natural desire to go forward, therefore the rider’s comfort and confidence.
Riders who expect their horse to live up to their personal expectations are destined for never ending disappointment.
No one can live up to another's expectations, especially an animal.
