The perfect horse has three qualities at high levels:

1. Total confidence
2. High-level skill and
3. Deep connection

No horse ever scores 100 percent. You are dealing with a prey-animal brain with its own heart and mind. That independence is important to honor. We don’t want a slave robot; we want a partner.

But we can get close. I have had horses that demonstrate brilliant confidence, amazing skills, and deep connection at levels as high as 90 percent.

Many horses, however, come to me at maybe 5 percent perfect, leaving big gaps in connection, confidence, and skills.

The magic lies in the simplicity of these three targets. If you simply work daily to test and improve confidence, or bravery, you will see dramatic changes. If you test and improve skills, you can measure progress week by week. And if you test and improve connection, you will see the most powerful improvements of all.

Connection is often overlooked. Too many trainers focus almost exclusively on skill development, and the result is a horse that feels more like a machine than a partner. That is not the goal.

It is also possible to lean too far the other way, becoming so focused on the bond that you forget to build the horse’s skills and confidence. Balance is the key.

​When you balance the three, confidence, skill, and connection, your progress will be undeniable. You will see where you started, you will see how far you have come, and one day you will enjoy the very best that the horse world has to offer.