Harmony Equitation

Combining Horse Behaviour and Natural Biomechanics into a horse friendly, ethical training methodology that treats all horses as individuals.

What is Natural Horse Training?

Communication, Foundation, Harmony…
Natural Horse Training is similar in many ways to all Horse Training when excellence is at the heart of the method. Great Horsemen and women have a gift, a natural talent to communicate with and understand horses. When we watch an international rider perform we see sophisticated communication, the language is so refined true Harmony is seen, and this Harmony has been built with a strong training foundation.
Fundamental this is a people training method, if we as people want success through willingness and partnership we can succeed without force to gain harmony.

Communication – we build a simple language
• Horses are sensitive to Body Language, this is how horses understand each other, as individuals and herd groups
• Horses understand leadership - herd dynamics at work
• Horses communicate with pressure and release – all horse training is based on this principle
• Natural Horse Training promotes the use of as little pressure as needed and quick release with the swift refinement of the pressure or ‘aid’.

Foundation – from the language we build our training program
• Horses need a solid foundation for whatever the chosen specialisation
• A horses foundation starts on the ground – stable manners and ground work are the building blocks, with riding and refinement as the later steps
• Natural Horse Training promotes the gradual building of a foundation in a structured manner that does not cut corners, and goes as quickly as horse and human are capable.

Harmony – with an established foundation, anything is possible
• A horse that has an excellent foundation can be Calm, Smart and Brave
• Horses seek harmony, their natural tendency is to do what is easy, if we build harmony the horse and human relationship becomes naturally easy.
• Natural Horse Training establish the horse as a Happy Athlete; calm, responsive, mentally and physically fit
• Harmony can lead to excellence is any specialty…
o Hacking and leisure riding – a pleasure not a chore
o Showing – beautiful manners, expressive paces, stillness as needed
o Hunting – cross any country, jump /cross any obstacle, stand when asked
o Dressage – develop light sensitive contact, true impulsion and engagement
o Showjumping – jump any obstacle with speed and power in balance
o Eventing – calm and sensitive for dressage, power and willingness for showjumping, speed and agility across country.

‘Problem Horses’ - my horse doesn’t…. .
• Tie-up – he pulls back / panics / digs / he will only stand with a hay net
• Lead – he drags me around / won’t walk / won’t stand / doesn’t wait / goes at his pace
• Hack – he prefers the arena / won’t leave the yard / runs home / spooks too much
• Load – he hates the trailer or lorry / he gets stressed / won’t load / won’t travel alone
• School – my horse doesn’t like schooling he is too naughty / lazy / difficult / impulsive
• Jump – coloured fences / fillers / water trays / ditches / banks / drops / lazy with showjumps / scared of fixed fences

There are many many more…. We make excuses for our horses, create limitations until our world and theirs gets smaller but all these things are ‘holes’ in the foundation, if a horse has been started quickly, trained with assumptions made then problems can quickly develop. ‘Problem Horses’ can be re-training using natural methods, once the foundation is re-established any horse can have a happy fulfilled life.
Natural Horse Training can prepare your horse for life… all horses from the weekend happy hack to the international event horse can benefit.