How’s your emotional regulation?

Something that comes up again and again in lessons is emotional regulation, the better we are at regulating our emotions and energy the better we are at handling, riding and supporting our horses. Horses are super perceptive to our energy and emotions and they will often mirror the rider or handler if they are young, green or unsure. An anxious horse matched with an anxious person is a difficult combination if that person isn’t self aware and isn’t able to control their sate of mind, energy, body language and emotions. Have you ever been to a clinic and seen a highly anxious horse with a nervous rider and the minute the clinician takes hold of the rope you visually see the tension drain from the horses body? That is without doing anything as such, just the other persons presence. Self awareness is everything when it comes to horses.