I have hung out with horses my whole life. I enjoy training young ones. It is hobby and I am far from an expert at it. However, I think my horse training helps me be a better human. Many professional horse trainers end up training people too. Monty Roberts wrote a book – Horse Sense for People, Pat Parelli teaches leadership traits, the movie Buck was more about life than horse training. Here are some thoughts on communicating with horses and how they would apply to relationships with people.

Use consistent cues = Be reliable.

Think like a horse = Put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

Act like a partner = keep what the other person wants in mind.

Be light in your cues = Speak softly and carry a big stick.

-Maybe the Roosevelt quote is too harsh and could be modified to let others know you won’t be walked on. There are consequences to bad behavior.

Patience = Take the time that it takes. This will save you time in the long run.

– If you have ever taught a horse to load into a trailer you know it is best to accomplish the goal calmly the first time or the next time they really won’t get in. It can take many hours to finish this goal. A good trainer is willing to put in the time.

Repetition = It is the mother of learning.

Keep them engaged = Be interesting. Make yourself fun to be with.

Praise = Let people know when they do good.

Trust = Trust must be earned. Be trustworthy.

Use proper body language = Body language is probably communicating more than your words. Be aware of it.

“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.” ~ John Adams

“If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong.” ~ Pat Parelli

“If you act like you’ve only got fifteen minutes, it’ll take all day. Act like you’ve got all day and it’ll take fifteen minutes.” ~ Monty Roberts

“A dog may be man’s best friend, but the horse wrote history.” ~ Author Unknown