There’s a bunch of keen horse people out there, many of them clicker trainers, who are working with a technique for dealing with fear in horses that was successfully adapted from a technique developed for aggressive dogs.  It’s called CAT-H Constructional Approach Training for Horses. 

Hmmm, I know… dogs are predators and horses are prey and they have quite different ways of thinking and characteristics.  It certainly wouldn’t have occurred to me to think that something that works on aggressive dogs would work on fearful horses. 

But the Youtube footage below showed me differently. 

The information in Zen Connection with Horses is a beautiful addition to any way of being with horses.  One of the things we talk about is noticing and then developing how we experience our early warning signal that something is Not Quite Right with our horse.  Not Quite Right is what happens before what happens, happens.  So you can imagine how useful it is to have that kind of sensitivity and that kind of responsiveness.

When we ask our horse to do something, we use that early warning signal to know when to stop asking and then we wait for as long as it takes until our horse has chewed and is ready for the next step.  Sometimes in that waiting, the horse will process and release a trauma from earlier in their lives.  It’s a beautiful and liberating thing to do with our horse – to free them from an old fear that is affecting their lives now.  The horse gets systematically calmer and more confident – and so does the rider.

CAT – H does it differently – though still progressing in small stepslike we do.  CAT – H approaches in very small increments and then waits until the horse shows calm before the person retreats.  This retreat rewards the horse’s calm by taking the pressure off, thus giving the horse control over the whole process and empowering them.   Anything that empowers a horse in a fearful situation is a good deal.  And judging by this Youtube footage, it works. 

So, viva la difference!  And Just Say YES! to a different technique that has the horse no longer scared, but alert and in the self carriage that indicates they are truly comfortable. 

Click here to enjoy the video footage where they work with a fearful horse and explain more about the technique at the same time.

 Click here for the article that explains the Just Say YES! project

Why do I like it?  Because they – horses and person both are having such fun. They are doing some spectacular stuff – but it is the sense of fun that I am Just Saying YES! to.

Click here for this heart warming footage.

Just Say YES!  is designed to make all of us think about what is most beautiful between a horse and a person. It is about identifying what is most beautiful to each of us personally and why that is so.  It is about inspiring ourselves and each other to greater heights of excellence in whatever we do with our horses.  

I am proud to collaborate with the magazine, Horses For Life, and with the new Just Say YES!  forum.

We are focussing on visual images for that inspiration – video and photographs that demonstrate to you, that speak to you about all the wonderful and beautiful things that dressage and other areas of horsemanship can be – images that inspire you whenever you look at them – and that you think will inspire others. Images that make you shout “YES!” with excitement, “YES! That’s what I want to see!”    

An essential part of that inspiration is your comments about the images that you send in – your comments about what there is about this image that Just Says YES! to you about the beauty and the poetry that a horse and human can be together. 

41,000 people signed the petition against Rollkur that went to the FEI last week.  41,000 people decided what they DIDN’T want to see. Imagine the power for change when 41,000 plus people focus on what they DO want to see. 

Wow, what a thought… 

Thus, Just Say YES! Is born here today. 

We are looking forward with excitement to this campaign rolling across the world, emphasising all that is positive out there in the horse world and bringing about even more of the excitement and beauty that being with horses can inspire.        

For example I, Jenny Pearce say “YES!” to real collection, “YES!” to strong, rhythmic, powerful, dancing movement and an elevated back through all the paces.  I say “YES!” to an obvious harmonious relationship, “YES!” to a happy horse and ”YES!” to a happy rider.  I say “YES!” to a conscious, joyful connection between horse and person that is reflected in the beauty of what I see. 

I say ”YES!” to a rider who works with their horse at home and in public, with kindness and consideration.  I say “YES!” to a horse whose mental, emotional and physical well-being is important to their human and whose work reflects that and enhances that.  I say “YES!” to all these things on the ground and in the saddle, bareback, bridle-less, bitted, un-bitted, however and wherever I see them. 

You will no doubt want to say “YES!” to something differently to me and differently to the other publishers and horse people who are collaborating on this campaign – in fact I’ll be surprised if you don’t.  Just Say YES! is designed to celebrate those differences. 

But most of all, Just Say YES! is about you – so what do YOU want to say “YES!” to? 

Already there are two places that you can send in your video footage or photos of those things that demonstrate what you want to say “YES!” to. 

Horses For Life has set up a section on their facebook page for you to put up the images that Just Say YES! to you.  Click here for that facebook page. 

Click here for the Just Say YES! forum that has been set up.  It has different categories of horsemanship and is a wonderful opportunity to post and discuss what you think is positive, and beautiful between horse and person.  

Whichever way that you join in, the images will be either a photo or video footage of a horse and person doing some beautiful piece of horse work that you admire.  It could be at the elite level of horsemanship.  It could be a little kid doing something beautiful with their pony.  It may be of yourself and your own horse.  Please don’t forget to say who it is (horse and person) and keep the contact details for them if you have that information, because we may want to ask permission to use these images for an exciting new project that is on the drawing board. 

And most importantly, don’t forget to write what it is about this image that inspires you – and WHY you think this is a truly beautiful piece of work. 

Horses For Life is going to run a competition for the image that best fits what they Say YES! to, with regular prizes of a years subscription to Horses For Life, amongst other things.  

Here on this website, I too am excited to run discussion and competitions and focus on the images that best speak to me about what I want to Just Say YES! to – more about that later! 

It is our wish and desire, that Just Say YES! rolls out all over the world, with joyful positivity – emphasising the vast amount of what is already wonderful and beautiful and positive out there in the horse world and escalating it to engage even more people to new heights of beautiful horsemanship. 

So be encouraged to take this Just Say YES! idea and run with it yourself.  Set up your own websites, your own discussion groups, your own blogs, your own facebook pages – talk about it, laugh about it, be inspired about it, inspire others about it. 

Keep it positive.  Keep it beautiful.  Keep it inspiring.  

And do all that … for the horse and for you.

by Jenny Pearce,  published in Horses For Life