3 Reasons why connection is important

Have you ever had a heart horse? That one horse (or if you are lucky, several) that immediately stole your heart? That horse that had quirks you looked upon as part of their personality and made you love them more?

If you have, you were lucky enough to experience connection immediately.

If you haven’t, or don’t have that with your horse at the moment, don’t worry, you can get that feeling. Even with a lease horse!

But why is it so important? Let me give you 3 reasons you should be looking for connection with your horse:

Connection fosters true communication

These two are intertwined as because quite simply, they cannot exist effectively without the other. Without connection, you can’t have effective communication. Without communication, you can’t have a strong connection.

Connection creates this flowing two way state. You are actively asking your horse to look to you and you are looking to your horse. When this happens, we are starting to build that communication that allows you to not only ask your horse to participate, but allows your horse to say yes or no.

Without connection, communication can become “I say, you do” as opposed to “I ask, do you agree?”

Connection helps us remove that power-over model that leads to many horses needing to use bigger behaviours to try and tell us their needs, and instead allows us to ask if our horses are willing or ready.

Connection builds trust

Connection has a massive impact on trust. As we build our communication and ask instead of tell, we see our horses change, feel more comfortable to express their concerns openly, and ask of us what they need (instead of having to show us in those big behaviours that can become painful or scary). Connection becomes integral in helping us become a compassionate leader our horse can look to for guidance.

That, my dear equestrians, is how you build trust with your horse.

Connection creates confidence

Confidence is one of those annoying feelings that we can sometimes lose at the drop of the hat – both you and your horse. Some people and horses seem to be built with more of it, and others, well, not quite so much. But even in people and horses that seem confident in themselves can struggle with confidence in the half of the equestrian team.

Connection allows your horses confidence in you to be strengthened because with connection you are listening, consistent with your actions and have their needs forefront of mind.

Connection allows your confidence in your horse to build and grow as your horse no longer needs to scare or confuse you with its behavior, and has shown that they are ready to be a team with you.

With connection, you can build a truly powerful, connected equestrian team that has faith, trust and confidence in each other.

Are you ready to work on connection with your horse? You can access our free course on Building Connections - join by clicking the button below: