I’ve only felt it once—that indescribable connection of which equestrians speak. I was riding Porsche, my first mare, bareback and with just a rope halter around her nose. We were exploring the trail that we often did, but something was different. I felt like her legs were my legs, like her mind was my mind. I knew that she would have performed anything that I could imagine. We were cantering through an arroyo in the desert. If I thought, “jump that”—we did! If I thought, “I want to go see what is over there”—we were sprinting toward it. It was amazing. I had complete trust in her and she in me. We were one. It was magic!

I’m assuming that that is the connection all the great riders are striving for. And it certainly is a gift. Porsche has since passed away and I am now striving to build that same bond with my new horse, Willow. As with all worthy goals, there are as many paths to reach this goal as people working to do so. I follow the method developed by Pat Parelli; he is a

trailblazer in horsemanship development, and actually coined the term “natural horsemanship.” Pat shares that if you want to have a great relationship with your horse, “it’s important to offer love, language, and leadership in equal doses." What he lets you discover for yourself is that the horse will offer the same, at ten-fold what you bring to the table.

Love

Rare is the person that isn’t moved by the majesty that is the horse. I could fill the rest of this article with pictures of flowing manes and soft muzzles, and half of the readers would think it was the best article they ever saw.It is in our nature to love horses. Admiring them, caring for them, and just being with them are as natural to humans as breathing. I believe we innately recognize their magic. I think Deepak Chopra said it best when he said, “Love is the experiential knowledge of unity.” This is the kind of

Equine MagicBy Jill Roth

(c) Can Stock Photo, Inc./konradbak

love that horses can reveal to us.

Language

Horses are masters of body language and great teachers if you want to become fluent in equine speak. Much of the initial lan-guage development occurs on the ground. It is much easier for you and the horse to communicate if there isn’t the additional pressure of being on a 1,200-pound, confused animal’s back. You progress through a series of ground skills that build your ABCs of communication until you are conversing in wonderful sentences. You start with big motions and then refine to small cues as you develop together. My friends are often amazed that Willow will back up 20 feet if I just focus my chi on the center of her chest. For her, my communication is so clear, I could have been scream-ing. But my friends don’t even see me flicker. As for me, I am hon-ored that she would be willing to back up, just because I asked.

For the horse, these ground skills build confidence and trust. Training usually occurs in a small arena or a round pen. Allan Hamilton, in his book Zen Mind, Zen Horse, does an excellent job of explaining the value of this learning for the human.

Every time you step into the round pen with a horse, re-mind yourself that today you may stand on the threshold of a great new personal discovery. Each horse, in his own way, is ready to coach you. And, when your resolution to change—to work on the person you want to become—is heartfelt and sincere, then the horse will reveal his next great secret, his next great gift to you.

Working with horses can lead to remarkable personal growth, both mentally and emotionally.

Leadership

Possibly the most fascinating to me is what horses can teach us about leadership. An equine therapist shared a particularly interesting story. She had her client in a stall with one of her horses. The gal’s only job was to “stand her ground” next to the horse. She was just supposed to “be” with her. Slowly, this horse started nuzzling the gal tenderly and then nudging her backwards. Much to the client’s surprise, within 15 minutes the horse had moved her backwards over the entire stall. She burst into tears as she realized that, because the horse had asked nicely, she had let the mare push her wherever she wanted. She realized that was exactly where she was having trouble “standing her ground” in her personal relationships. If the other person was nice to her, she was basically their doormat. Such an exquisite lesson, from such a gentle instructor.

Horses are born followers and prefer that someone else take the leadership position. But, they also will check every day whether that leader is worthy. During the morning turnouts at my ranch, you can watch this testing firsthand. Each day the horses will re-establish their pecking order in the herd. It is a matter of survival. If the head mare isn’t sharp enough on any given day, the herd could perish. They will do the same with their human leaders.

It is so interesting to learn, and watch others learn, the difference between effective leadership and perhaps wimpiness or bossiness.

It is a fine balance and the horse is an amazing tutor. I find that women have particular difficulty being a strong leader. They are quick to make excuses for the horse or to allow unwanted behavior to slide. What is truly fascinating is when they recog-nize that they do the same thing with their kids or husbands. The frustration they feel with their lack of success with the horse often mirrors their relationships at home. It is not uncommon for those human relationships to change as the woman gains confidence with her horse-handling skills.

Linda Parelli also teaches about something she calls “horsenal-ities.” The ideas included in Linda’s teachings could easily fill an article of their own, but the gist is that just like humans have different personalities, horses have different horsenalities. We all learn, are motivated, and react to different situations differently. My daughter was thrilled when I had to work with a horse that is motivated the same way as her. I was using my usual “just try harder” approach with this horse and he was having none of it. All of a sudden it clicked. Oh my God, he is just like my daughter. If I want to help her be successful, I need to honor the way she learns and is motivated. We still joke around about how grateful she is that I learned that lesson from my thoroughbred professor.

Our equine partners can be our greatest teachers and comrades. It takes a brave heart to open yourself to this type of learning—but if you are ready, there is a horse out there ready to meet you.

~Jill Roth

Jill Roth has been a student of the horse for over 20 years and has earned her blue string in the Parelli Natural Horsemanship system. She boards and rides her horse, Willow, in Cave Creek, Arizona.

(c) Can Stock Photo, Inc./konradbak