First Do No Har‪m‬ Katie Boniface

If you find this episode helpful and you think you and your horse would benefit from this kind of training, visit https://www.equestrianmovement.com/trainability to learn more about what our training trainability program can do for your relationship with your horse.

We have so many great questions come through when we host our free stronger bond workshop in our facebook group, you can join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5dayimprovehorserelationship

Join us in this podcast as I answer a few of them.

5 min 30: I feel like my horse and I don't connect. 

10 min 20: I don't feel like I'm the right person for my horse. I don't know how to teach them properly. I really just want to learn patience and how to relax so I can be a partner my horse can trust. 

16 min 30: My horse is aggressive, how do I manage its behaviour.

In this episode I share with you how to watch different trainers styles and techniques for training their horses and decide what you want to implement and if it aligns with your values. Specifically we talk about the natural horsemanship technique of getting our horse to "hook on" or "join up" and how I've used this in the past with my training but now prefer to use connection training. 

Check out this article on scientists who got horses to "join up" with a remote control car, effectively debunking the theory that it builds an emotional connection and relationship. https://phys.org/news/2012-07-urge-rethink-monty-roberts-horse.html 

The way that we work with the horse is effectively to just ask! However, there is a bit that goes into this depending on the horses previous experiences. Listen in for more on that!

This weeks episode we talk about how it can be easy to end up with accidentally having our horse shut down with traditional methods of training and even more so the more experienced you are. We share with you some tips on how to keep your horse engaged, willing and consenting throughout the training process so that we are working with mentally, emotionally and physically sound horses that can communicate their needs to you.

We explain how we use the process of consent to more deeply trouble shoot problem behaviours and share a couple of rules to keep our ego in check to ensure we aren't drilling our horses to sourness. 

This week's episode of First Do No Harm we delve into how the Equestrian Movement cofounders Sarah Gallagher and Katie Boniface came together with a mutual passion for working with our horses holistically to support their mental, physical and emotional soundness. A common theme in our discussions that come up in our fb community "The Stronger Bond community" is being uncomfortable with traditional training styles that demand submission. 

I talk about not liking the person and trainer I had to be to be a "successful" professional in the industry and the journey we've been on together with our stronger bond community members to build a strong relationship and connection with our horses first and then cue in the tricks, not the other way around. 

Keen to join the family? Join our fb group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5dayimprovehorserelationship