In the morning, Maria is working with the equines on “touch” training, getting the pony and donkeys to touch certain objects with their noses in return for a treat. Maria is uncertain about dog training, she is worried about being too tough or about messing it up. She has no such anxieties or hesitations with Chloe or with the donkeys, she is confident, upbeat, positive and clear. Her timing is perfect Maria explained to me this morning that this kind of training and communication – labeled by some as “tricks,” is the gateway to building a trusting relationship with a horse. It leads to other things – obedience, communication, even the retrieval of certain objects.

All of these things are relationship-building, they build a partnership between the animal and the human, they ask us to be disciplined, consistent, patient and loving. I see it every morning. Maria is thinking of doing an Intuition Workshop with the animals, I hope she does. You can read more about Maria’s touch training here.