Who are we? We are a community of like-minded trainers, instructors, clinicians, riders, handlers, and horse owners throughout the country with a sincere interest in building harmonious and in-depth relationships with our horses. There are no membership fees, forms, or special requirements to participate. We are simply individuals who strive to set an example of a mindful and respectful approach to the handling, starting and continuing schooling of horses of all breeds and riding styles. Because many of us compete in disciplines that demand the utmost response, flexibility, and athleticism from our horses, we recognize that tension, strain, discomfort and injuries are the accepted norm and too often go unrecognized. Yet only horses that are free of tension can perform according to their unique potential and, like people, enjoy their work.

            To understand what it means to have a horse that is truly free of tension requires us to slow ourselves down, momentarily set aside our agendas, and observe what our horses are actually experiencing in any given situation, not what we think they should be experiencing or how they should be behaving. In order for this change of focus to occur, we remember our respect and love for the horse, and likewise take responsibility for whether there is harmony or discord in the relationship. In order for this to happen, we look to ourselves and admit the times when our quest for a particular outcome trumps our ability to ask for what we want without force, when our impatience trumps our ability to think objectively, when our frustration trumps our ability to step back and think creatively, when our anger trumps our ability to problem solve, and when our ego trumps our willingness to ask more questions and admit we don't have all the answers.

            Our ability to admit our imperfections requires learning to be comfortable with not having all the answers. But if we achieve this, we are then free to look to the horse to teach us what we need to know.