Leadership starts with how you see your horse, and how your horse sees you.

Dignity and joy is within reach with a calm, curious mind, clear communication and trustworthy actions. But first we need a desire to listen, and be sensitive in order to feel what our horse tries to say. It requires self-discipline, composure, courage, time and tact.

An understanding of basic anatomy and biomechanics leads us to see how important equine balance and laterality is to a horse’s locomotion, and this knowledge guides our techniques and our successes. More knowledge – less instruments.

To progress in riding we give a great deal of attention to establishing a balanced independent seat and sensitive hands that not only feel the horse’s thoughts, but guide and educate their behaviour.

ADVANCING IN HAND: Beyond this, with balance and lightness in halt, walk and rein-back, we begin gymnastic work in true bend and counter-bend, changing posture, bend or direction, then all lateral work in-hand: shoulder-in, travers, renvers, half pass, and pirouette.

STARTING KINDLY: When a horse understands so much already from the ground, there is no need for any rough ‘breaking in’ or sudden surprises under saddle. Everything is calmly established on foot first – as a kind and natural progression – then, the horse can learn to balance a rider while applying what it already understands – a trusting connection and dialogue of cues between the rider’s hands and the horse’s mouth.