We do horses and people a tremendous disservice by pretending that natural horsemanship and riding are complex topics that take years to learn. Instructors in every field, from theology to fiddle playing. often advance the myth that the subject matter is so complex that only the chosen few can understand.
The reality is that riding is simple. A person in good physical health can learn to ride in short order after they master the natural anxiety that riding brings on. One learns to ride by riding, and riding, and riding, and then riding more.
Natural horsemanship requires one to learn several counter intuitive concepts to understand a horse's thoughts and motivations. It is the concepts that matter, not the individual techniques. One could spend the rest of one's life learning specific techniques and not remotely master natural horsemanship without the understanding of those basic concepts. On the other hand, one who understands the concepts can improvise and develop techniques.
Pressure and release, prey animal and predator, the need for security versus the need for autonomy--these simple concepts hold the key to having a relationship with a horse that is based on something other than fear and fairy tales
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