If horses were given a choice, would they let us ride them?
Two documentary movies and a whole new way of approaching things later, that question was somewhat of a sliding doors moment for Elsa Sinclair and one that I and many others have infinitely benefitted from.
As a member of her Taming Wild Insiders Patreon community and having done her online course, I’m constantly blown away by her skill, sensitivity and understanding when it comes to developing a deeper level of communication and trust between horse and human. Her approach, called Freedom Based Training is based on a simple principle:
“If we train and work with our horses without any tools or food rewards, they have the freedom in every moment to tell us how comfortable it is for them- and if it’s not comfortable, they simply walk away. This tasks us to develop feel and timing, and we learn to develop both within the comfort zone of the horse.”
In her first movie, Taming Wild, Elsa works with an untamed mustang and develops a relationship with her (including riding) using only Freedom Based Training Methods. Her latest adventure (an idea conceived on in collaboration with the wonderful Andrea Wady) explores relationship development in movement, taking two rescued horses across Costa Rica, culminating in the newest movie release Pura Vida.
In this episode we explore:
⭐️ The principles and practices behind Freedom Based Training
⭐️ The leadership scale: Passive, assertive & dominant leadership
⭐️ Width and depth in training; relationship and skill-based training
⭐️ Flow and harmony in horsemanship
⭐️ Pura Vida: The adventure of crossing Costa Rica with two rescue horses
You can tune your listening ears in here!
If you want to find out more about Elsa or purchase her movies, here are the links for you:
Taming Wild Website
Join the Patreon Group
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