I still remember the moment so clearly...

I was teaching a lady how to do circle work with her horse. Her horse didn’t quite understand her request to go out on the circle to the left. So I gently suggested:
"Maybe you could already take a few small steps in that direction, to show him what you mean."

She turned to me and looked at me with eyes like tennis balls.

And then she almost screamed: "Hell no! That’s something you should NEVER do!"

I immediately knew what she was referring to...
Yep… the old 'never move your feet first' rule...

I decided to play a little dumb, and asked:
"Oh? What do you mean?"

She looked at me and said, half scandalized:
"You’re a horse trainer, and you don’t know that you should NEVER move your feet first?!"
(funny also how it's always said in exactly those same words)

I replied: "Well… I’ve definitely heard of it. But I actually move my feet first, a lot!”

Bigger tennis-ball-eyes.

I can’t help it, but I honestly enjoy those moments when students are so surprised they think I’m talking total nonsense. Because that’s when the best conversations begin.

So I asked her gently: "Don’t you ever move your feet first when you’re with your horse?"

"No!!" she said, "If you move your feet first, your horse will become disrespectful! He’ll become dominant!"

"Oh...Well, let me tell you how horses feel about you moving your feet first" I said.

I explained her my view and showed her with her horse, how it looks when you move your feet first, calmly, with clarity and connection.

I explained what was happening, and how horses read our body language and intentions.

Her horse started to relax, finally he understood he was asked to go out on the circle to the left.

And I could literally see her eyes softening and her body relax too.

And, at the end of the lesson, you know what she said?
"Karine… I have to admit… The way you do it actually makes much more sense."

Want to hear more about this horse training myth, that if you move your feet first, your horse will think he's higher in rank?

Then you’ll really enjoy my newest podcast episode!

🎧 Episode #10 – Myth #4: “If you move your feet first, you act lower in rank”

With love,
-- Karine ♡