Your mind-set, approach and way of thinking (beliefs) are critical to building trust and a lasting relationship with your horse. Your mind-set is the first thing you must scrutinize and work to understand in developing skills in horsemanship.

People generally have one of two mind-sets when it comes to getting a horse to do something. They either have the mind-set that they are going to use force or intimidate the horse to get him to do it or they use the buddy up method of trying to sweet-talk their horse into doing it. Both of these methods are hopeless, you will not gain the trust nor respect your looking for from your horse.

There is a third mind-set, one that will get the results you're looking for in your horse. People that fit into this mind set are not aggressive or willy-nilly, but evenhanded, they lie somewhere between the two extremes.

When working with your horse your mind-set is to be as gentle and calm as you can, but as firm as needed. It's important to keep in mind that while you're being gentle, be gentle without being wimpy and when being firm do so without being mean or mad.

The mind-set of a horseman should be to, *not* do things to your horse, but rather to do things for and with your horse. Be creative and think outside the box when it comes to doing things with your horse.

The mind-set of a horseman should be that *principals* are more important than purpose and that *adjusting* to fit the situation is more important than rules.

Let's recap today's discussion on Mind-Set

1. Your mind-set is critical in developing trust and a lasting relationship with your horse.

2. People generally fall into one of two mind-sets. The first, they use force or intimidation to get what they want out of the horse. The second uses the buddy or sweet-talk method to try to get what they want from the horse. Neither work.

3. There is a third mind-set, being evenhanded not aggressive or will-nilly.

4. Horseman should do things for and with their horses and not do things to them.

5. Be creative and think outside the box when doing things with your horse.

6. Be gentle and calm with out being wimpy and be as firm as necessary without getting mad or mean.

7. Principals are more important than purpose and adjusting to fit the situation is more important than rules.

In the next article, we will discuss Approach, Helping your horse to understand what it is you want him to do.

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