"Trust Bank Account"
Building your horsemanship 'trust bank account' is one of the most important pieces of creating a harmonious partnership.
There is nothing more important in a relationship... human and horse, human and human, horse and human...than trust.
Every encounter we have with our horses deposits/credits or withdraws/debits 'trust points' from our collective 'trust bank account'.
The 'trust bank account' is not in a physical bank, but it is a very real and essential part of creating relationships and partnerships.
It's the 'balance' of trust between you and your horse. You draw from it every time you are with your horse... from entering the pasture to catch them, to grooming, to playing, to lunging and to riding.
You will withdraw from this bank account when your horse is put under pressure. Environmental changes like changing pastures, changing herdmates, changing seasons will put your horse under pressure.
Routine vet and farrier care, general ground handling manners, and many aspects of training cause pressure and withdrawals from your trust account.
It is especially helpful to have an overflow in your 'trust bank account' when you get into a sticky spot and need your horse to help you out and – you know – trust you a little bit.
This overflow will guard your relationship as you move through the pressure together. Returning to our positive reinforcement and clicker training games, we quickly rebuild and add deposits to the trust account.
That trust, once again, grows larger and more abundant with each positive interaction and engagement between us.
Here are the possibilities when that trust bank account is strong through confident, clear communication.
Partners should be able to communicate clearly with each other without judgemental or the communication ever feeling personal.
This is key to long lasting, trusting relationships.
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