Trainer’s Corner: Foundation Principles

Understand and Use Body Language to Speak “Horse”

Working with horses gains better results with better understanding. True horsemanship involves building trust, understanding, and studying the way horses think and behave. Horsemanship’s foundation requires comprehending many principles from the perspective of the horse. It’s not just another thing we do with our horses—it’s not an event or discipline. It’s quite simply the way of being with a horse that fits the horse.

Their own personal safety is a horse’s main priority, ranking higher even than eating, which comes in a close second. Everything about their physical makeup is created for survival, from their sharp eyesight and hearing to their flight instinct that can be triggered in a fraction of a second. Because flight is the primary defense mechanism to stay safe, and safety is their priority (and the feet are necessary for this reaction), there’s a solid connection between the feet and the mind of a horse.

In working with horses, whatever our goals, it’s possible to miss this feet/mind connection and simply tell the horse where to go and how to do it. This focus on accomplishing criteria in the physical is all many people think about when it comes to working with their horses. Most of the time the horse is cooperative enough to go along with this. But the mental/emotional side of the horse has far more bearing on many aspects, including our safety and the horse’s willingness to learn and progress.

To have a relationship built on trust we must understand this feet/mind connection and its relationship to the equine’s need for leadership, which is directly related to the need for safety and provided for in the herd until we remove them from it and want them to interact with us. Without some understanding on both sides, we may not communicate the leadership the horse needs when removed from his buddies and comfort zone.

When frightened, a horse’s instinct is to react. This is where humans can get in trouble. The horse perceives danger and reacts, often far faster than we can adjust, and that’s when we get hurt. The main way to improve this behavior is to give the horse another option by training his mind to respond—listening to our cues and staying with us despite perceived danger. We do this by building trust and understanding, helping them learn to be brave by finding relief (and survival) by responding to us.*

Body Language – How to Speak Horse 

Horses communicate through body language and the hierarchy of the herd is determined this way. It can be as subtle as the twitch of an ear or as forceful as a double-barreled kick, whatever it takes to get the point across. Humans also communicate through body language, though mostly unconsciously. Because of this it can take time and focus to learn to intentionally communicate this way. Many people shortcut the process and use more flag, stick, or lead rope twirling than actual body language and so miss how effective it can be. 

The terms I use to describe body language are position, life, and space. The principles of body language are applicable both in groundwork and under saddle, the main difference of course being the significant change in our position from the ground to the saddle.

Position has to do with where we are in relation to the horse, considering where the balance point is along the shoulder that’s natural to all herd animals. It includes the direction we face. When we’re consistent with where we direct our intention it can become a very effective part of our communication.

Life, or energy, is noise or movement that causes the horse to want to make a change in what he’s doing, whether that’s to speed up, slow down, move left, right, forward or back. It can include verbal cues. Our “life” can have tempo or rhythm just as horses do, which can be a subtle and effective part of our communication.

Space is primarily dealt with in groundwork and refers to our personal space and how we use it to direct the horse and stay safe. It works in conjunction with “life” to help a horse be more aware of us and move away when asked. It’s important to not eliminate our space when asking the horse to move away – this can be easy with a quieter horse and leads to them being less aware of our personal space. We only have so much space so it’s crucial we use it sparingly and effectively. 

As we become more fluent in this language, we can direct the horse’s feet in specific ways, offering them a feel of going together and motivating them with this harmony. At the start it’s simply using pressure and release with the proper timing to engage their minds (there’s the feet/mind connection) in the choice to cooperate. If we take the time and are willing to change our focus, we can begin to interact more with the mind, setting things up and letting them find it, and the feet will follow. This is a big piece of the puzzle that teaches them that they can trust us with their mobility, which is the same as putting their lives in our hands. This foundational connection is vital to all further training if you want a horse that is willing and safe both on the ground and under saddle.

*See my videos on “Response in Spite of Trouble” at www.truewesthorsemanship.com.

See this article in the May 2025 Online Digital Edition:

May 2025