We want our animals to not only feel good about what we ask them to do, but to also be responsible in what we ask them to do. If we set things up to make a winner of our animal and be aware of our presentation to them we can create a partnership off of respect. Far too often relationships with human and horse are based on tolerance alone, but what we strive for is willingness.

Starting our animals with a solid foundation is so important not only to our animals, but also to us. We should be looking to create a partnership with our animal and being leaders for them. If our horse, mule, or donkey, is confident in his human as a leader, there is nothing they won't at least try to do for us. From working jobs of pushing cattle out in the mountains to just enjoying a trail out solo with our equine, we can achieve so much more than imaginable if we take the opportunity to work on ourselves to be better for them and build trust in our horse rather than fear based or forceful techniques. It isn't just about getting things done, it is about HOW we get things done and offering a way for our horse to be a winner with everything we set up for them.

After all, this horsemanship deal is about working on ourselves, to be better humans for our horse so they can do what we ask willingly. For us to consider the horse's opinion and help them make changes so they can have the confidence in themselves and in us to do their jobs. It is one thing working on a horse to be better for us, but if you work on yourself, every horse gets better.