Have you heard it said that we have to dominate our horses to have safe relationships with them? Do you believe this is true?

If so, I'd like to kindly encourage you to reconsider. In my mind, what we really want to do when we are with our horses, is present our best and highest self and reap the many rewards of consciously connecting. This is true whether we are just spending time with our horses, doing husbandry activities or positively shaping their behavior in way that they and we can FEEL good about.

Think about it. Isn’t this what we would do in any relationship we truly value? Chances are we've all chosen to do certain tasks, go places, visit people and behave in intentional ways to fulfill relational obligations. An example might be attending your best friend's birthday party with a smile when you’ve had an exhausting day at work. Chances are both you and your friend are glad you did it, despite your initial desire to stay home. 

How we behave is...