
By Karine Vandenborre
This is key when asking your horse for distance.
When leading your horse, regularly ask him to stay out of your personal space = min 3 to 4 meters distance. When you lead your horse at a distance, you are leading your horse from the "lead position". Be calm and polite when you ask for more distance.
But there's also something else that is important, and that is: don't focus on your horse. Instead, focus on your own space. That is key!!
Why?
Because when you focus on your horse, your horse can feel pressured. When you focus on your own space, your horse will feel totally ok with you asking for distance. He will understand that it's not about him, but about you and your own need to have more space.
Horses understand that need, they are
very sensitive when it comes to space and distance, it's one of their
ways of communicating with each other: asking for distance and more
space, giving more distance and space, receiving more distance and
space.
In the picture you can see Jeanne and her horse
during their first Groundwork lesson, learning how to walk together with
distance = leading in the lead position. From the moment Jeanne knew
how to ask this in the right way, her horse was happy to give her that distance. He
became more focussed on her and stopped being pushy.
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