This week’s experiment comes from Daniel Dauphin, and it starts with a deceptively simple question: Can you ask your horse to walk exactly seven steps… and stop? Not six-ish. Not eight because the halt got a little late. Seven. Spend a few minutes seeing how accurately you can feel and influence each step. Once that starts to feel easy, refine it. Can you ask your horse to step off with the left front foot first? What about the right front? And if that gets easy, here’s the next level: Can you ask your horse to step off with a hind foot first? The goal isn’t perfection. It’s awareness. How clearly can you feel where your horse’s feet are—and how intentionally can you influence what happens next? That’s where “feel” starts becoming something you can actually use. Your question for the week: How much control do I really have over each individual step? Was this harder or easier than you thought? P.S. - You can do this while leading your horse too! You don't have to be sitting on their back. If you're leading them, how do you make it harder once you've mastered 7 steps?

What if the biggest obstacle to better communication with your horse isn't that they aren't listening to you? What if it's that you're afraid to listen to them? I recently had a wonderful conversation with Mary Miller Jordan of I AM HERD Mustang Sanctuary about her upcoming Celebration of the Horse-Human Relationship. We share a belief that I think deserves more attention in the equestrian industry: We need to become better listeners of the horse. I think there's a reason many horse lovers struggle with this. We're afraid of what our horses might tell us. When a horse hesitates, turns away, or quietly communicates discomfort, our brains can turn that small moment into something much bigger. "My horse doesn't like me." "My horse doesn't want to be ridden." "My horse will never willingly do what I want." Suddenly, one little "no" feels like a threat to everything we've dreamed of accomplishing together. So we ignore it. We push through. We convince ourselves the horse needs to learn to accept what we're asking but we might be missing an opportunity to learn something important. A "no" in this moment does not mean "no" forever. It doesn't necessarily mean your horse dislikes you, doesn't trust you, or isn't capable of becoming the willing partner you envision. In the moment, they might be; uncomfortable or confused. Or maybe you need to ask differently. The only way to find out is to become curious. And that brings me to this week's experiment. 🧪 10-Minute Tuesday: Hearing the NO Spend ten minutes exploring how your horse responds to your approach. With your horse loose in a safe environment or wearing a halter (not cross-tied), slowly approach one side and then the other. Pay attention. Does your horse follow you with their head? Do they turn their head and neck in front of you as you approach? Does their expression change? Is one side different from the other? If your horse appears to hesitate or block your approach, **stop.** Wait. Maybe take a step backward.

We usually have a plan for our horse. I tell people to have a plan but I also tell them about the best piece of childbirth advice I was ever given - be prepared to change it. Always have a plan but have the situational awareness to know when to adapt. This week's episode of the podcast is still in editing and the guest is a little non-traditional for TTHR but he actually fit in perfectly with my mission 😁 Adam Trenk kept coming back to one thing that was surprisingly simple and I love simple! **********Know what you’re trying to accomplish before you start.*************** When he chooses a saddle, he starts with the mission. Is he starting a young horse? Going on a long trail ride? Roping? Working with an experienced horse who already knows the job? The right equipment, the right expectations, and even the amount of time and pressure he uses change depending on the answer. And yet, how often do we walk into the barn already running the same program we ran yesterday? So this week, spend 10 minutes before you start training or riding and ask: ***********************What is today’s actual mission?*********************** Not your long-term goal. Not what your trainer says you should eventually accomplish. Not what you planned three days ago. What does this horse, on this day, in this moment need? Then notice: - How does your horse seem physically and emotionally today? - Does the equipment you're using make sense for what you're asking? - Are you preparing for the horse in front of you—or the horse you expected to have? - What would count as one small win today? - What's the least amount of pressure you could use to get there? Give yourself permission to change the mission. Maybe today isn't the day you finally nail that transition. Maybe today's win is relaxation. Maybe it's standing quietly at the mounting block. Maybe it's discovering that the saddle, exercise, environment, or expectation you planned isn't the right tool for today's job. Adam called it situational awareness.

This week we're expanding on your passive riding. You don't have to do this exercise on a loose rein but, if your reins are shorter, you have to be more mindful about NOT using them. Can you do that? 🔹 Step 1: Start Trotting Let your horse move off on a loose rein(if you're comfortable with that). Don’t cue. Don’t steer. Just let it unfold. Watch and feel how your horse chooses to move without your input. 🔹 Step 2: Tune Inward Where are you holding? Are your hands, thighs, or seat gripping? Release, soften, and breathe. You are a passenger, not a pilot. 🔹 Step 3: Track the Rhythm Can you feel the sway of your horse’s back? The rhythm of the walk? Let your body sync to the motion without forcing it. 🔹 Step 4: Can you anticipate where your horse is going to go? Don't try to change it, unless it's unsafe, of course. Just notice it. 🔹 Step 5: Get curious about what you noticed. Where did your horse want to go most? How hard was it not to control where your horse wanted to go? Let me know how your experiments go below 👇 Happy Riding!

I'm pretty sure we've talked about passive or passenger riding here before but, it's always a great exercise to return to! I love to do this as a warmup or cooldown but you pick the time that is best for you. 🔹 Step 1: Allow the Walk Let your horse move off on a loose rein. Don't cue. Don't steer. Just let it unfold. Watch and feel how your horse chooses to move without your input. 🔹 Step 2: Tune Inward Where are you holding? Are your hands, thighs, or seat gripping? Release, soften, and breathe. You are a passenger, not a pilot. 🔹 Step 3: Track the Rhythm Can you feel the sway of your horse's back? The rhythm of the walk? Let your body sync to the motion without forcing it. 🔹 Step 4: Can you anticipate where your horse is going to go? Don't try to change it, unless it's unsafe, of course. Just notice it. 🔹 Step 5: Get curious about what you noticed. Where did your horse want to go most? How hard was it not to control where your horse wanted to go? Happy Riding!