Make your horse feel clever and earn a whole new level of skill and trust.

Did you know that in human psychology, especially in sales, the best salespeople do not push an idea on you? They lead you toward it. They line up all the pieces of the puzzle and then let you discover the answer on your own.

This works because when a person figures something out, there is a massive internal, self induced reward at play. The participant feels clever. Not just smart. Clever. It is an important distinction.

When you feel clever, like you solved a puzzle, you do not feel sold to. You feel involved in a fantastic journey filled with treasure. And that first treasure is a great find.

Horses need this kind of play too. If you want your horse to love working with you, make them feel clever. I will give you part of an example and let us see if you discover more on your own. Hehe.

Let us say your horse is afraid of leaving home and it is a battle to ride out away from the others. A great trainer does not fight that battle head on. Instead, they set up a game, a kind of treasure hunt, where leaving becomes part of the reward.

How would you do it?

What kind of treasures would you use?

What kind of play would change the association?

If you know the answer, great. If you are not sure, that just means you are ready to use that beautiful imagination of yours.

Summing it up, find a way to make your horse feel clever about solving a problem and you will discover an entirely new way of progressing toward your goals.

By the way, this works with flying changes, half passes, transitions, maintaining gait, and much more.

Have fun dear readers. I cannot wait to hear what games and rewards you design to make your horse feel clever.

Email me your results.
Don@masteryhorsemanship.com

​Don Jessop