Horsemanship

Crissi McDonald explores whether taking care of your horse’s brain and nervous system is better to create the behaviours you desire.

There’s a question every horse asks before any other questions, says Dr Stephen Peters. “Am I safe?” If we can answer that question consistently and with assurance, our horse can learn and thrive in a safe environment. 

Crissi McDonald helps us with ideas to consider when switching from a ‘more is more’ mindset to ‘less is more’.

I often tell the story of the moment when I knew I wanted to commit to becoming a Masterson Method® Certified Practitioner. When I heard Jim Masterson say, in the context of working with a horse to help them release tension, “If you’re not sure what to do, do less”, I knew I’d found the right equine bodywork modality for me to pursue. 

Are you struggling with your riding confidence? You are not alone, nearly everyone will be affected by a stage of low confidence. Here are our tips for working through low confidence to achieve the horse riding experience you desire.

Natural horsemanship is not a new concept but one that goes WAY back, even as far as ancient Greece. It involves utilisation of the concept that horses are not simply a beast of burden or one that should be treated like a machine. Instead, horses are treated like the delicate creatures they are, intelligent, sensitive and capable of emotion. Horsemanship seeks to develop a partnership between horse and rider that leads to a deeper connection and commitment to one another.

Before we can speak of stress within horses, we first need to understand the natural behaviour of the horse. Horses are herd animals. A herd has a leader, the leader takes the initiative to graze or rest and the other horses in the herd usually follow. The rest of the herd always has a choice to follow or not, it depends on how confidently the leader sets her intention.