Circle C Natural Horsemanship Program
Circle C Natural Horsemanship follows a philosophy that aims to approach all aspects of horse training based on 5 elements that that develop a relationship of willing cooperation, which are Attention, Trust, Respect, Understanding and Motivation. These elements, which we often refer to as the acronym ATRUM, allow us to see the relationship through the eyes of the horse and work with them based on how they naturally think, communicate and learn.
While natural horsemanship, in my experience, is the most authentic way to understand the horses training experience from their perspective, it isn't always the easiest. It often requires hard work, perseverance and a willingness to push ourselves outside of our comfort bubble at times. However, the payoff is an ability to experience lightness within all of our cues and a true connection in the bond between horse and human.
Although we are proud of the depth and detail of our program, we also believe that there is always something new we can learn and incorporate into our horsemanship. It is this continual search of knowledge and skills that we are passionate about sharing with those we have the opportunity to teach and coach.
ATTENTION
When it comes to working with a horse, it goes without saying that without their Attention, it would be hard to get anything of value accomplished. If we don't know how to get their focus pointed in the right direction, both horse and human are most likely going to end up frustrated and confused. This is why we take concrete steps to make sure we achieve a fundamental level of Attention before attempting to teach a horse anything further.
If you stuggle to keep your horse's Attention focused on you and your training goals, we can help!
TRUST
Given that horses are prey animals by nature, they operate predominantly on a flight based way of thinking, meaning they would rather run from anything they percieve to be a threat before asking questions. This is why it is critical that we take concious steps to earn their Trust as we progress through their training. While these steps can seem fairly obvious up front, they can become more difficult to be aware of at higher levels of training.
If you’re concerned about your horse's level of Trust within your training, we are happy to discuss your issues to see if we can help you overcome your challenges.
RESPECT
When it comes to Respect with a horse, it is often confused with an over demanding or reprimanding attitude towards our training. What we promote is an attitude of leadership that the horse learns to appreciate. If we can achieve a level of Respect in this manner, we become a symbol of safety and protection, which is something that every horse craves.
Need help earning your horse's Respect in a positive manner? If so, reach out and we can discuss your situation and how we can help.
UNDERSTANDING
If a horse doesn't have a strong Understanding of what our pressure means within our aids and cues, they won't have a very good chance at becoming a well trained horse. In our program, we have worked hard to help horse owners progress through their training in a step by step manner so that they aren't overwhelmed by too much information at once. Through this style of practice, we have helped hundreds of horses and horse owners achieve lightness in the pressure they use to communicate with their horse.
Looking to iron out some wrinkles in the communication between you and your horse? Feel free to get in touch to learn more about our program.
MOTIVATION
If a horse isn't properly Motivated, all of our training efforts can become a either a drag and a bore or it can become scary and uncertain. Understanding what truly Motivates a horse can be the key to unlocking a relationship that we all desire to have with our horse.
Feeling stuck with how to get your horse Motivated to be aligned with your goals? We're here to help you take a step back and understand your horse's perspective on the issue so that forward progress can be made.