Defining success. Creating a space where your horse can always succeed and you can always feel great about it.

Defining success. Creating a space where your horse can always succeed and you can always feel great about it.
Zeus arrived with a halter on. Not long after he was here I took it off. I was cautioned, ???Good luck getting it back on!??? At that point I made several commitments: I would train him without it. I would never restrain him. I would focus only on his acceptance, release and commitment. Where are we at now?
December was a great month for Zeus, our resident wild horse. We experienced many huge milestones. It’s somewhat humorous: the milestones I speak of are things that we take for granted in trained domestic horses. But to Zeus, simple interaction and communication with a human being ??? let alone other domestic horses – was utterly foreign. How do you think he’ll make out having his feet trimmed?
I don’t believe that many times in his adult life, that Zeus has had the opportunity to let go of his prey / herd tension. So how could I ask of him something he has no concept of? Although he was trying and exhibiting releases, I felt I could present this to him in a much more beneficial and positive way. Here’s how it went.