Once you & your horse have made it past the “flight, fight or no response” stage, you will start getting results by asking your horse to yield to pressure in 4 phases.

That’s a huge success and deserves to be celebrated!!!

Don’t rest on your laurels for too long though, because you’re about to enter the magic kingdom of “Set It Up & Wait”!

This is where your horse starts to actively seek comfort and find that happy spot. It’s as if he’s thinking, “What do I need to do to keep my human in neutral?” He will start to feel for the boundaries that you set, understand the goal and will seek harmony & relief in motion, not just in the “game over” part of the exercise.

So, what does that mean for you as your horse’s leader?

It means that you will raise your expectations and hold steady until the horse softens and understands your idea. This quality of a response is achieved when you allow the horse to find the comfort versus you taking off the pressure. Your horse gets to find release by himself. You have to set it up and wait, holding steady until your horse yields as opposed to increasing the pressure.

Your horse will begin to look for the soft spot, for harmony and therefore comfort. That’s how you engage your horse’s mind. It is also the key to having quiet hands and legs that your horse will feel as ‘boundaries’ and be able to find comfort within those boundaries.

Clear as mud? Great! ☺

If not, contact me  to sign up for Soulutions for Success Coaching and get some eyes-on help on your journey to becoming the best you, you can be for your horse!