As a stereotypically reserved Canadian, judging a horse show last fall in Israel, it was culture shock.  Animated and passionate in communicating, what an initially rattled me (what’s the commotion??), became  endearing to me.

The big idea behind “horse whispering” is the use of subtle body language and keen observation to communicate with our horses.  And one has to admire top showmanship class exhibitors who have developed a language of discrete cues to speak to their horses –  each signal distinct and preceded by a pre-signal, or “heads-up”.

“Riders may give unintended signals or a conflicting aids making it difficult for a horse to offer the correct response,” writes Dr. Antonia Henderson. “the horse tunes of the rider out, and soliciting an increasingly stronger aid.”

Let’s make the effort to be a student of our horses body language…  and be conscious of our own!