Shh, why are you shouting?

Have you ever thought about how sensitive our horses are? Did you know they are so sensitive to our energy that THEY know WE are anxious 7 times faster than WE recognize it ourselves?!? That's crazy! No wonder we have such an impact on their performance and well being.
 
So what does that mean? That means we have an opportunity to 1) learn to stay grounded and present to help our relationship with our horse and 2) use that sensitivity to our advantage.
 
​How can we use their sensitivity to our advantage you ask? By asking with a whisper instead of always shouting at them. The ultimate horse and rider team performs as one unit. The cues are subtle (invisible at best) and they move together in unison. 
 
By whisper, I mean applying your cue with the softness you want the horse to respond to. You can never achieve that softness if you're always asking them by shouting! Give them a chance to learn from the whisper.

 Here's a good example of how you can utilize the sensitive nature of a horse and perform a transition with an invisible cue. EXHALE for a downward transition. Yes, it's that easy. Try it! You can start at the jog and literally exhale and relax all your weight into your seat and down your heels. Your horse will want to transition down to the walk! If your horse is not responding, make it a goal to work towards (maybe you've been shouting too much and didn't know it :) 
 Have fun and enjoy the ride!
 Blessings, Amy