Soft Feel and beyond-

Try to develop a “feel” for your horse’s mental outlook. Does your horse seem tired, disinterested in his work, confused? Feel is not just about what you feel through your reins, seat, and legs. It is about sensing your horse’s mental and physical state. It is about thinking about your horse and it’s development when you are away from your horse. To me, feel is about my mental connection with a horse. I often do my best training at 2AM while lying in bed. For some reason, the relaxed state seems to allow my mind to problem solve. It is a good idea to take time to develop your eye when watching horse’s work. I watch a lot of horses throughout my work week. I know each of them pretty well. I am always watching them with a “soft eye”. This often lets me know when a horse is starting to develop a soundness problem or needs some additional strength training. It is good to just sit and watch horses and how they move. This really helps a person develop as a horseman. Take time to observe your horse out at play. How evenly and well does he/she move without your involvement?

Lyn Ringrose Moe