The Truth Behind Natural Horsemanship

What does the term Natural Horsemanship mean? At the end of the day, the horse doesn't care what we call it, only how we make him feel and that is all that really matters.

Thank you for taking the time to watch our video, we are very grateful for your support. I am Susan Harden and my mission here is to spread awareness about horsemanship through feel and to give the horse a voice.
We have all heard it said that the horse is our best teacher. I am passionate about helping people understand better what the horse is trying to tell us and how to put that into practice so we can benefit from these lessons. Our horse, of course, will also benefit, after all, is that not what we are all chasing? A happy horse, a harmonious partnership, and a pleasurable experience for all involved!

Live and breathe horses was established in 1995 and has grown and transformed over the years in parallel to my own equestrian/life journey.

The name comes from the obsessive nature of my horsemanship. For those who don't know the expression in English, to “live and breathe “ something suggests that you dedicate all your time to it and it is what gives meaning to your life.
Because the breath is the top focus in all of my work, the name is even more perfect.

My connection with horses spans 5 decades and includes pony club, showjumping, 3-day eventing, classical equitation, dressage, equine-assisted therapy, “natural horsemanship" and more important than any labels, deep love and respect for the horse which is what motivates me to do what I do.
I am also fascinated by the parallels in horsemanship and life as my hero Buck Brannaman says “Hoses, life, it's all the same to me"

WHAT WE DO
Courses and lessons here at our center. Instruction is always personalized to suit your exact requirements as we only work individually or with a maximum of 2 students for all riding and groundwork. If you are a group of guests booking together please contact us to discuss possibilities
Clinics and lessons at your own place are tricky at the moment with the pandemic but normally they are available by special arrangement.
On line has grown much faster than expected due to the new world situation and we are proud of our 1 to 1 mentoring program which respects the uniqueness of each horse, human, and combination
Boarding (livery) and education are available here at our center when we have space, please get in touch to see if we can accommodate you and your horse
Please see our website for further details of contact us directly

HOW HORSES HELP US GROW AS HUMAN BEINGS
Horse and horsemanship (horse-human relationship) give us endless opportunities for personal education, development, growth, whatever you like to call it. Integral to that is the expansion of our self-awareness, mindfulness, living in the moment.
And that is just by being around them and being present while practicing good horsemanship.
We can also learn much about leadership, setting boundaries, clear communication, listening, empathy, balance, grace, courage, and love... to name but a few!
There have been many advances and additions to equine-assisted therapy in the last decade or so. I am not a therapist but have found that the practice of horsemanship through feel can have a transformative effect on our lives and state of being. This is equally true for everyone involved in horses, those who have no experience, and often most dramatically for those who start with fear.

WHERE WE ARE & CONTACT
Centro Ecuestre La Luz is the home base of Live and Breathe Horses and is
Located near Alora, a mountain village in Malaga province in the south of Spain.
We would love to hear from you so please do get in touch
Phone call & WhatsApp [phone] (please note the signal here in the mountains is not always reliable)

SOME BOOKS THAT I RECOMMEND
True Unity, willing communication between horse & human - Tom Dorrance
True Horsemanship through Feel - Bill Dorrance with Leslie Desmond
Think Harmony with Horses - Ray Hunt
Groundwork - Buck Brannaman
Believe - Buck Brannaman
Reflections on Equestrian Art - Nuno Oliveira
Classical principles of the Art of training Horses (volume 1 & 2) - Nuno Oliveira
30 years with Master Nuno Oliveira - Michel Henriquet

Keep tuning in to the light!

#horsemanshipthroughfeel #selfawareness #tuneintothelight

[Weezdabadcats]

Thank you for this (and for the text that follows). I am new to horses having only had mine for a couple of years even though I am in my late 50s. Having always been an animal lover (especially of cats - thus your kitty in this video particularly touched me...he/she thought you were talking to him/her...not the camera), I have loved horses mostly from afar then I came across Friesians and now own one who is my friend, my teacher and my inspiration. Like most people new to anything, I have been researching all sorts of various horse-related topics and have discovered many interesting and thought provoking videos (such as yours). As a result of my cyber wanderings and even some soul wandering, I truly believe that my horse came into my life because I needed him to teach me. He is an old soul in a 12 year old gelding's body and he has made me realise the importance of breathing, slowing down, honesty, kindness, patience, humour, generosity and courage (and surely many other things that I have not put here). Due to their size, horses can be intimidating teachers yet they have the ability to say volumes with simple gestures. This being said, in all fairness, each animal is a teacher whether the animal is a cat, dog, horse, bird or even an insect...we have to just be open to feeling their form of communication and to listening to what they want to teach us.

[sehnottingham]

Thank you Susan. I've been thinking about this too and how watching the expressions of all the horses in a herd and the interactions between them can tell us so much about how a horse is feeling and getting on. A lot happens away from humans and I think having a settled herd like yours goes a long way to help our horses feel content in other scenarios if and when we work with them. Xx

[serenityhorsemanship]

I think it is about using the nature of the horse to educate them in performing the tasks we ask of them. It is understanding our horse/human differences more than our similarities. It is about horse -ism versus anthropomorphism. It is us joining them in their world and ways more than them joining us. It is understanding that we need them more than they need us. It is about developing a relationship that is 'attractive' to them. You mentioned it in a way when you spoke of the horse as a partner rather than slave (or tool).

[vaqueroontario]

Doesn't look like the cat had much choice, where does this idea start and stop?

[BlackKettleRanch]

I think you're correct, in that, the nuance of the term doesn't matter. In talking with one of my mentors, Patti Haddon, she worked with Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt directly. Patti explained that neither Tom nor Ray cared for the term "Natural Horsemanship". To them, it was just horsemanship. Natural Horsemanship became a buzz word that just stuck and here we are. Is it an accurate term? No. But neither is one-rein-stop. There's a lot more to it than just pulling a rein. So, what's a more accurate term than "Natural Horsemanship". As Tom Dorrance said, "There's a lot that goes into it". It is distinctive and, in my opinion, far better than the horsemanship that is practiced without it. "Superior Horsemanship". "Clear Horsemanship". "Transcendental Horsemanship". "Empathic Horsemanship". "Common Sense Horsemanship". The list goes on. Does a horse really want to be ridden? Do any of us really want to go to work? Let's say we don't go to work. Let's even say that we're billionaires and we don't have to go to work. Let's say that the world is our playground and all we do is what ever we want...all the time. I've met several people like this. They don't strike me as happy individuals. They still get bored, despondent, and lose a sense of meaningful purpose. Horses get bored out of their gourds in the pasture. They're smart animals. Put a smart person in a jail cell, and they get clinically depressed. I've seen horses get depressed in pastures. They want something to do. They come up to me in the pasture as though to say, "Let's do something today". If a person makes themselves a miserable entity to be around, then who would want to be around them? I like to go to school when the teacher is a good teacher. And that doesn't mean that the teacher doesn't challenge me. It's the way in which they challenge me that makes the learning exciting. If the teacher sets me up to succeed, and I work at it and win, then I feel great. If the teacher sets me up to fail, and I work at it and can't win, then I don't need that frustration. So, does a horse like to be ridden? I say that a horse loves to be ridden and craves to be ridden if the teacher is a good teacher. Horses notice a lot more detail than we think, and they go back to the pasture and think about those details. When they learn that learning exists, they get very engaged in the process of learning. That's when the conversation is a lot of fun. You are one of those very positive teachers, Susan. I can see in your videos that you've mastered having the horses enjoy communicating with you. That feels natural. So, maybe the term is not so off.