To start with, I’ll say that as a horse person i was “brought up” with the conventional horse techniques. I was tought about force, power and control. In the last five years, a subject of a different way of interacting with horses began poping up in my life. It started with a clip on youtube (added in earlier post “Adventures with Takoda and Majura”), an impressive ‘no bridle, no saddle’ show from a trainer using the Parrelli technique. For me at the time, this was like a sweet and exiting taste of a very new world I knew I was about to encounter.

Not long after I moved to Auroville, India (I was living in Sweden before this) and I was given full responsibility for a horse in the Auroville Riding Center (or ARC). There I was fully introduced to the concept of Natural Horsmanship, and in more detail, the principles of Klaus Ferdinand Hemplfling and also Pat Parelli. After three years I decided to give my horse away. Owning him had been a tedious experience for I lacked the knowledge needed to take care of him properly, but I am forever greatful for the experiences with him.

Since then and up to now, I have been researching as much as I can about the ideal relationship between human and horse, and I have especially been learning about the many flaws in the conventional system of horse and rider.

Now, for me, if I had been introduced to any of the things I know now, five years ago, I probably wouldn’t be able to understand any of it. But after my experience of the horse in the ARC, I realized that what I was conventionally taught, wasn’t helping me build any relationship with my horse. And so I needed to open my mind to something new and different.

In my next article I will write about my understanding of the aspects of the conventional horsemanship that bring up problems for a trusting and loving bond between horse and human.

To read this article click on the link “Research on the Natural Horse” to the left in the TABS section.

May we have open minds, and a curious hearts. All the best, Isa.