05/08/2025
Is clarity the missing ingredient in your relationship with your horse? So often, communication problems with our equine BFFs, including the use of our aids, are completely solved when we take a deep dive and a hard look at how/when we are asking the horse to do something. For me, if my horse's are confused or "not trying" and I pause to become really, really clear in the teaching or reteaching of my request (from ground work to riding) my equine partner then responds with ease and energy.
So excited to host Kathleen - Ethos Equine and Kathleen Beckham - back here at Graymar May 16 - 18! Rider spots are full but auditor spots are available for all three days ($70) or single days ($30/day) through this link: https://ethosequine.com/kathleen-beckham-clinic-texas-2025
PM me with questions!
It’s easy to get frustrated when a horse doesn’t respond the way we want, to label him as stubborn, or distracted or "not trying."
But more often than not, it’s not about the horse’s lack of commitment. It’s about our lack of clarity. If the pressure isn't clear, if the timing is off, if the release comes too early or too late, then the horse doesn’t have a fair shot at figuring it out. And if that happens enough times, the horse learns not to bother trying.
In the work we do, we don’t leave success up to luck. We offer the horse a clear question.
We notice when he tries. We remove the pressure cleanly when he finds it. And we build from there—one honest effort at a time.
If your horse isn’t giving you what you’re asking for, start by asking yourself: “Did I make the right thing obvious?” “Did I give him a reason to stay engaged?”
Horses don't check out for no reason. They check out when the conversation doesn’t make sense. Our job is to get better at making sense.
That’s The Work.
