Good question isn’t it?!

The further I go in my work with myself and with horses, I have learnt so much about connection, disconnection, energy (ours and theirs), and how our thoughts can create either positive or negative outcomes directly.

And it all works together…your mindset, your predominant thoughts, your energy, your emotional state, all combine and this is what your horse picks up and ‘reads’ every moment they are with you.

And what your horse reads creates...

Your connection with your horse is one of those 'intangible' things isn't it...BUT...it's a massive part of horse ownership and affects everything we do with them! 

If our connection isn't that good, consistent or trusting, we can just end up feeling like we're not good enough, it's all an uphill struggle, there's no real enjoyment in what you're doing with your horse, and it's either mechanical, all a chore, or you just don't want to do it. 

Or worse than that, your horse becomes...

There's an excellent quote that I share regularly in my trainings, ebooks, courses etc, that I think really helps to crystallise where you are with your mindset...

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right! 

Read it a second time...it really is impactful, and especially in connection with our horses. 

If you have a negative mindset, you tell yourself negative stories and words continually, tell yourself you can't do xyz, creating fear and anxiety in your body,...

We have all been there...making excuses not to ride, sabotaging ourselves so that we don't have to do the xyz that we are nervous about, allowing the overwhelm to take over, and putting focus everywhere else apart from the actual riding...

And it turns into falling out of love with your horse or horse ownership, and it's actually much more common that you might think - lots of the horse owners that I work with in my coaching part of my business are in this exact situation...they have lost the...

...AND how to overcome it! 

• Do you find that whenever issues arise with or around your horse, your brain goes straight to the WORST possible outcome?? 
• And you can't think clearly or logically in those moments, it's like something takes over your brain??
• And the feelings that come along with the worst case scenario thinking are heavy and negative, maybe even staying with you for long periods of time afterwards? 

Well first, you are not alone. This type of thinking, jumping to...

• How do you get in the right headspace when your horse has been diagnosed with kissing spine??
• How do you maintain positive energy and mindset as you go through the rehab?
• How do you stay grounded, and develop your horses confidence after major surgery, when you are out of your depth, feeling alone, struggling emotionally with it all, and scared of getting it wrong??
• How will you know if your horse is in pain again?
• And how do you manage your mind as you prepare to get back on your horse??

...

As a qualified mindset coach, I work with horse owners who are struggling with fear, anxiety, negative thoughts and feelings, overwhelm, procrastination, and feeling like they have fallen out of love with horse ownership.

And one of the crucial pieces of the jigsaw that is usually missing, is trust between the horse and owner. And not knowing how to get that back. Therefore being stuck, and probably avoiding riding, keeping the horse at arms length in terms of connection etc.

Our brain is...

Your horse is super sensitive, and picks up on all of your feelings!

So when you are feeling anxious, overwhelmed, rushed, frustrated, irritated, etc...even if you think you're doing a good job of hiding it, your horse picks up those vibes. 

Horses live in the moment, they are grounded, and very much 'in their body'. They are consciously aware of everything around them, due to them being prey in the wild, so they have awareness of potential incoming danger. 

Sensitive and aware of...

Written by Debbie Busby MSc CEBC ABTC-CAB CCAB, Clinical Equine Behaviourist 

Help - you and your horse are not on the same page!

You’ve spent months diligently following vet and physio advice to rehabilitate your horse through a physical problem such as kissing spine, PSD or an acute bout of laminitis, and you’ve finally got the all clear to start work again.

But your plans of getting started on light hacking, or easy school work, are thwarted when your horse tells you in no...

Horses are born crooked...left or right handed so to speak, and in simple terms it's up to us as their rider / trainer / rehabber, to train our horse in such a way that we develop symmetry into their movement, to help prevent injury. 

This is a huge topic, and it's super important to be aware of and improve with our horses. Standard walk-trot-canter exercise and straight line work doesn't improve the crookedness pattern. And if we don't address the crookedness pattern at its source...