Basic Communication with Your Horse
Being with our horses and being around them wherever we are, as we interact with them, should be a pleasurable and enjoyable experience. Every meeting can be a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other, to explore the world where we co-exist together, to build trust and expand our connection.
A basic communication principal we abide by at Healing Horses is that:
All horses connect with us and learn more easily when they are relaxed and calm.
Shaman & Katie
This may seem obvious, but we regularly observe situations where the horse and handler are struggling to move forward in whatever activity they are attempting. From simply coming together, to cleaning and brushing, to haltering, to saddling … and unfortunately (because it gets more dangerous) to mounting and riding.
To avoid this and to build the foundation for basic communication that works, every one of us must first understand that when we go to our horses, we are the ones with the agenda, not them. They do not have an expectation of what is going to happen. We do. And often we have a time line, which immediately puts stress and tension into the situation. As well as all the other things on our mind.
To complicate matters and make things more difficult for us, our horses read us (and our intention) far better than we read them. They can read our mood, understand our attitude and feel our energy from a considerable distance. Many owners, unless they have great experience and meticulous study, do not read their horses well. And if they do, they know they will never stop learning.
Shaman "reading"
So, as a first step, before you even get out of the car or think about approaching your horse, take a few deep breaths and try to relax yourself. Try to clear your mind of everything except thoughts of you and your horse spending wonderful time together – preferably quietly and alone. Imagine just being with your horse, or walking freely with him/her. Clear your mind of its noise! One way to do this is to pick up on the sound of a birds song, or listen to the crickets or the sound of the breeze blowing through the trees. Connect with nature and be still with her sounds before you reach out. It will take you a step closer to your horses world.
As you start to approach, make all your movements calm and relaxed. Be quiet and be gentle as you enter your horses space. Then keep your voice low and reassuring. All these things will create an atmosphere of trust.
Be observant and look for these 7 signs that your horse is relaxing:
1) The head lowers
2) Licking and chewing
3) Sighing, with slow and steady breathing
4) Yawning
5) Cocking of the hind leg
6) Soft eyes, ears forward & responsive to sound
7) All muscles visibly relaxed
Remember, your horse is reading your body language at all times. So, to ensure the clearest communication with them, we must make sure we are present with them in the moment. We must quietly concentrate on being with them, not being somewhere else in our thoughts.
If your horse is irritable, stressed or uncooperative – think before you respond. Because their actions will be the result of them mirroring back to you your own unresolved issues.They are that way, because you are ….
It is rarely the horse 
Our wish for all of you is a happy, healthy and mutually respectful relationship with your horse. Many horses become labeled as troublesome, dangerous or unmanageable. If we all become more capable of understanding them, and take the time to meet them in that wonderful space between our worlds, then there will be fewer who end up becoming unwanted and unloved.
Katie , you make it look and sound so easy, of course I realize this is from years of experience and I know for someone who wants to get involved with horses needs to understand how to approach they’re horse and learn how to communicate with them and earn they’re trust. Keep up the good work….
I am learning so much about horses from you. I have watched a neighbor “rescue” horses and then leave them in a broken down corral for weeks on end. She finally had her last two either given away or sold, not sure. But I dont have to have a broken heart day after day wondering if they need food and water . I miss seeing those beautiful creatures, but I feel they are probably being taken care of a lot better wherever they are. At least I pray they are.
Hi Lucy, Thank you for your note. Sorry we’re slow to respond. The New Year has been busy and we’re not the best technology people …. we’re more comfortable in the pastures with the horses
But anyway, it’s wonderful that you care for the horses so much, and we would urge you to find somewhere to go, to be with them more often. Maybe you could find somewhere just to visit occasionally, so that you could get your “fix” 
Thank you for looking out for the horses at your neighbor’s property!
You are people after my own heart!! Please check my website, especially the section on Equine Reiki. They have so much to share with us, if we will just learn their language!
Best wishes,
Lightpath
Link exchange is nothing else but it is just placing the other person’s weblog link on your page at suitable place and other person will also do same for you.
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and
wanted to say that I’ve truly enjoyed browsing your blog posts. After all I’ll be
subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again very soon!
Not sure how you got on my face book feed but as an owner of a TB rescue I enjoy your perspective.
You are absolutely right in your advice to people. I owned my friend Warrior for a year before we went for a ride. I follow Carolyn Resnick and do not use a bit on my sweet friend. People need to learn to be a friend to the horse before asking the horse for their trust.
Keep up the good work!
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I came to your site via you being “friends” with Leatherwood Mountain Resort. I am interested in wild mustangs (BLM adoption program) and wonder if it is more or less difficult to gain their trust (goal: train to be ridden), than it is to work with a rescue horse that has been domesticated, but has been mistreated? The mustangs would have had little human interaction as opposed to the rescue horse that has had bad interactions with humans. In other words, which is more difficult to overcome, wildness or abuse?
TomC
Wilkesboro, NC
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