How do we connect with our horses and what do our horses need to feel safe?

Connecting with our horses takes time and consistency. Connection comes with trust and builds through consistent positive experiences in varying degrees of challenge. Just as our confidence and trust in a person builds through finding success in challenging situations, so too do our horses need to see the “proof in the pudding” so to speak. A horse begins to trust you when their needs are met and their true colours can begin to shine through. Their defenses are released and they can begin to move and act in the world with a sense of confidence.

What does it mean to meet our horse’s needs?
In addition to basic instinctual needs (food, water, shelter, safety), horses have three main relational needs as well. These include mind, space, and pressure. (Mind) They want to know that we see what they see and we’re able to dialogue with their thoughts. (Space) To feel us spatially and know that we’re doing our best to communicate our thoughts and feelings through our space. (Pressure) And lastly, to feel like they can control the pressures of life through engagement and curiosity instead of fear and anxiety.
Once we’ve learned how to satisfy these basic needs, our horses tend to feel safer, heard, and free to express their sensitivity without needing to resort to fear based reactions!

Once our horse’s relational needs are met we’re able to bring peace to our horse’s mind and gain access to their physical body. If there’s anxiety in the mind, there’s going to be tension in the body. Through the relational elements of horsemanship we can begin to connect to deeper levels of release and relaxation in the body. In this work, our horses begin to let go and trust that they can use their bodies in a more efficient and balanced way.

No matter what the story, with time, trust and connection, we can evolve and grow in our relationship with our equine partners!