| Here the Handler is doing part of the 'Friendly Game", and is touching her horse's ear to desensitise the horse to this. 'Advance and Retreat' method is used here.This is Pat Parelli's Horse.Man.Ship Level 1 |  |
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Also the 'friendly game' , the rope lead is being placed over the horses head. Horses are a flight or fight animal, by nature humans are predators to the horse. Domestication has luckily for us, made horses more instinctively quiet. |
| Here the handler is asking the horse to back away from her and here we can see the horse has responded well. This is an Arabian mare and is quite alert and responsive to all that is being taught to her. |  |
| Last 3 photos. Here is being shown me getting the handler to do a turn on the forehand and turn on the haunches. The ground work exercises are very important in all aspects of working with horses and training including lateral / vertical flexion. If you look at the Spanish Dancing Horses, all their first years of training is on the ground. Here the horse develops flexibility , balance , confidence etc., by the time the riders asks for these under saddle. Plus it builds our relationships with the horse. No time spent with your horse on the ground or in the saddle is wasted, it's the building block to you as a horse man/woman. | 
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