In today’s fast-paced and information-heavy world, it can be challenging to discern how horses perceive us and then, what to do with your horse. We're bombarded with methods, techniques, and advice—but what if the most powerful “method” isn’t a method at all?
Here’s a powerful reminder to help: Horses interact with us through our actions, our movement, intention, and awareness.
Beyond Words: The Language of Movement
When we’re with horses, verbal language takes a back seat. What matters most is what we’re projecting through our energy, our presence, and our movement. For example, a horse doesn’t respond to confidence because we say we have it—they respond to whether we embody it.
They move with us when we’re inviting, grounded, and congruent.
Every moment we’re with them is an opportunity. Horses give us real-time feedback about how aligned and congruent we are—physically, emotionally, and energetically.
A Practice in Awareness
Because of this, working with horses naturally becomes a practice in self-awareness.
They invite us to pause and notice:
- How are we breathing?
- Where is our focus?
- Are we tense or relaxed?
Horses invite us out of our habitual patterns and into a more present, embodied way of being.
Connection not Control
Long before humans relied on spoken agreements, trust and cooperation were built through consistent presence and mutual regard. Horses still operate from that paradigm. They remind us of what it feels like to connect without pretense—where authenticity, not performance, is what matters most.
A Pathway to Progress
This becomes a pathway to personal growth, healing and constant progress with your horse.
Horses don’t evaluate us based on roles, resumes, or past experiences. They respond only to who we are by how we are moving in the moment—offering a rare opportunity to be fully seen without judgment. That experience, simple as it may sound, is deeply transformative.
Want to explore more of this way of being with horses?
Want to explore more of this way of being with horses?I share these reflections and deeper practices in my book, Going Beyond: Mastering Unspoken Connections.