Natural Horsemanship

The basis of all Natural Horsemanship is communication. 80% of communication is non-verbal. Our horses show us just how true both of these statements are each and every day. The first horses on this farm under our ownership were a pair of untouched Belgian weanlings. One of these lovely little girls was easy she learned that people mean good things and came around rather quickly. The other was not. Tess was scared, spooky, untouchable, wild and downright dangerous at times. Searching for a better understanding of her mind got us started on this journey to better horsemanship, that has become the foundation of our work here on the farm.

Horses are herd animals, they rely on each other for companionship, safety and ultimately survival. A lone horse on the range won't last long. Their entire social structure depends on mares and stallions(geldings) living together and functioning as a unit. This herd lifestyle is the basis for all our programs here as it is the most important factor when it comes to understanding how horses work and having them show us what being in a herd really means. Each herd member is important. Our horsemanship gives us an excellent metaphor for our own relationships. This program is not about the horse it is about US!

The keys to horsemanship are attitude, knowledge, timing, tools, techniques, and imagination. Each of these things is equally important to your horse. You can't have good horsemanship without all six of these pieces. When you get these things right and in the proper balance for your horse, they will do nearly anything for you. Our hope here at Vanderbrook is to see each person who comes to us for any one of these keys walk away with a better understanding of the horse and how that transfers into our relationships with people.