From the start, let me say that nobody should feel bad or apologize for having fear issues. They are real and not to be trivialized. And an appropriate level of fear is even desirable because it will help a rider make smart decisions and give more consideration to how a horse is feeling. A little bit of fear makes a person a better horse person.
The Law Of Diminishing Anxiety
Becoming a Better Horse Person
A Visit From An Old Friend
Bruce said, “Mate, this is what I have learned and the only stuff that I am sure about. The first 500 horses taught me how to stay on. The second 500 horses taught me how to be good at getting a horse to do stuff. The next 500 horses taught me that if I don’t get in the way of what a horse wants to do, they all seem pretty happy.”
Contractual Trust
Learning to Wait
Waiting has always been a challenge for me. I think those early years of learning to be effective also taught me that horses were meant to be on my schedule, not me on theirs. But my friend showed me that to get something done when a horse was not ready was an abuse of power and privilege – it’s what bullies do, not horsemen. My job was to either wait for them to be ready or find a way to help them become ready.