Ask a question about how to build a relationship with your horse and you’ll generally get answers like:

  • Be the leader
  • Do more groundwork
  • Make him respect you
  • Teach him good ground manners
  • Make him keep his attention on you

All of these suggestions focus on the human controlling the horse’s behaviour, expecting the horse to do what you want, when you want, and how you want. Do that in a relationship with another person and it’s called toxic!

Relationships can be positive or negative. It’s all about the emotional connection, how you interact with each other, and how each party feels about the other.

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