Many people talk about natural horsemanship as if it was an advanced program that only the chosen few can enter.
This is not true as you may find that much of it rings a bell as far as what you have been doing with your horses over the years.
From a personal point of view, taking up alternative horse training and studying it in depth has brought the realisation that it is what so many of us do naturally but do not always know how and why it works.
There are many gurus out there, some more recognised than others, but the majority of them have studied horses in their natural environments to see how they act in a herd and towards their peers.
The basis of this system is to base your training on how horses respond to each other and who they look to as a leader.
The dominant mare is usually the leader and her way of dealing with unruly colts is an interesting subject and one to be studied.
We must also remember that the horse is a prey animal and looks on any other creature as a potential threat to his survival.
The equine looks for any predatory behaviour and acts accordingly, usually by running away.
Aggressive behaviour can be caused by the animal feeling trapped and so the survival instinct ticks in and when the horse cannot escape it will fight back.
If you are looking to work with your horse along these lines to perhaps solve a problem or maybe you have taken on an animal that has behavioural problems, then it is worth studying natural horsemanship from the beginning.
Start by learning how to get your horse to catch you rather than you catching him, in other words let him come to you rather than you running after him.
You might think that the above sounds strange but it is the idea of bonding with your horse and him becoming your friend rather than your servant.
Through a number of initial practices you can mimic the behaviour of another horse with yours so that your animal understands your actions and realises what you are wanting from him.
This is often known as 'horse whispering' or using the language of the horse.
By following a step by step procedure you will bond with your horse and will find that he will work with you rather than for you.
The idea is to get him to play with you and enjoy what he is doing and when you ask for something he will be ready to give it to you.
This all takes time, patience and practice but the outcome is worth it.
By using the alternative horse training method of natural horsemanship you will not only learn more about your equine but also about yourself.