Training Tip: Foundation is Everything

The Fundamentals, the first level of the Method, is the level where, through a series of groundwork and riding exercises, you earn your horse’s respect and trust and prove yourself to be the leader in your relationship. Horses are great followers if you are a great leader.

Think of it as the foundation of a house. I’ll be the first to admit that there’s nothing exciting about a house’s foundation; in fact, it’s the most boring part of the house. It’s also the most important. If a house’s foundation is cracked or uneven, the house is no good. A faulty foundation leads to cracks in the walls, leaks and holes. You can go around and keep patching up each little problem, but it’ll be a constant issue. The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter how fancy the rest of the house is; if the foundation is bad, the whole house is bad. The same is true of your horse. If his foundation is lacking, everything you do with him will be a struggle or impossible because he lacks the knowledge required to progress.