What is 'Natural Horsemanship'?

Natural Horsemanship is a philosophy of working with horses based on the horse's natural instincts and ways of communicating. It operates with the understanding that horses do not learn through fear or pain, but rather from the pressure of gentle touch and the release of that pressure.

​Natural horsemanship is the care, training and riding of horses in a way that is most in harmony with their natural behavior, innate movement and physical being. It's about listening deeply, being fully present, learning how to read the horse's body language. It's about discerning how to respond in keeping with the horse's way of being. It's also about establishing healthy boundaries and building a healthy, mutually satisfying and enriching relationship.

How can exploring Natural Horsemanship help me in my relationship with myself and others?

While Natural Horsemanship is a key to success in equine-facilitated learning, working with horses apart from the learning context can be very healing in many ways. Natural Horsemanship can teach you how to deal with everyday life in a calm, assertive and problem-solving manner. Each interaction will teach you to be completely in the present moment, meeting life there. Every horse will teach you something you didn’t know about yourself, giving you a grounded  calm from which to meet the ups and downs of life. Every exchange holds a microcosm of transferable lessons for human-to-human interaction.