Natural Horsemanship

Natural Horsemanship seeks to work and train a horse using their natural instincts and behaviors to provide understanding and insight to gain respect from a horse to become their leader and trusted ally rather than dominate and overpower a horse into submission.  I got this list from haysisforhorses.com blog.  See his website for more information on natural horsemanship.

These basics is what we must understand in order to work naturally with a horse.  The left brain activity is what we hope to achieve while the right brain activity will generate the problems we need to anticipate and understand.   Through training,  you are setting up some of these right brain triggers - reaction side - in a controlled environment to bring the horse back to the left brain - thinking side. 

This is Blackfoot - one of our wild mustangs - imagine the elevated instincts these animals have from the wild - and you can see here is is looking out - her ears forward - to see that everything is as she knows it should be before stepping out into the side corral.  Or perhaps she sees something unusual?  One thing for sure, she does not look relaxed.

LEFT BRAIN INDICATORS
Licking and chewing with mouth
Blinking of eyes
Level head and neck
Muscles are relaxed
Endorphins are released for calmness

RIGHT BRAIN INDICATORS
Head and neck is elevated
Eyes are wide, showing the white
Nostrils are flared
Muscles are tight and braced
Adrenaline is released for power

PRIMARY RIGHT BRAIN TRIGGERS
Predators (this includes us)
Places (new or unfamiliar)
Movement (of anything)
Changes (anything familiar appearing differently)
Objects (anything new and unfamiliar)