Step 9 – Creating Connection Through Change In Focus

We hope that you will continue to bring the tools of awareness and regulation with you to your interactions with your horse.

Now we are going to start showing your horse how aware you are and we are also going to start teaching them something as well.

You might have heard before that we like to do things that mean something, and we’re a bit lazy, so when we introduce something to the horse, it usually has multiple layers held within it.  This exercise is one of those. It teaches so much to both you and your horse.

Firstly, this is where they learn to look towards the flag.   We want to be able to draw their thoughts with the flag and this is a crucial step for a lot of things that come later.   However, this is also the place where you get to start showing your horse how aware you are of them and of their change in focus.

When you start showing them that you notice when their focus changes, this helps them feel safer than they had in your presence.

On, this, the first day that you are going to go out and try the exercise, it’s more important that you practice getting the changes of focus than it is that they follow you around.   They will learn more in the process of repetition than they will in the following you around.  So, the more times that you can get their attention with the flag and then show them that you saw their change in focus, that is the goal for today.  Not following you around.

Remember, this is just the “next thing” in the process, don’t worry about the “Days” anymore.  You are on your timeline…not ours.  

Remember how to navigate this course? Just click on the topics below under Lesson Content. Then at the bottom of each topic, there will be a button to move you to the next topic. If you click on Next Lesson at the bottom of this page without going through all the topics, you will feel lost! LESSONS = STEPS and the TOPICS = What we want you to learn about during that step.