Listen to your Horse
Is your horse trying to tell you something? If you take the time to watch and listen, you will often find your horse is actually talking to you. I have one horse who is constantly moving his upper lip, no matter what we are doing. He can be standing in the cross ties or performing highly collected movements in the arena. It is important to know what is normal and what is unusual for your horse. They are expressive creatures who want to let you know how they feel. It is useful to keep a journal of your observations as well as your training program. Working with horses is fascinating. Being with these noble animals forces us to be in the moment which is the key to life. When you live in the present all fears of the past and future subside.
Here is RJ making funny faces while I work with him at liberty. He is an unusually “talkative horse” with his eye never leaving me. We rode out alone on a hack yesterday when suddenly he stopped on the trail. He would not budge, so I sat and waited. After a few minutes several deer appeared out of the forest in front of us. He was waiting for them to pass. Once they were out of sight he moved on with a purposeful walk looking for more wildlife. I think he is enjoying his move to the east coast.