Guest blog by Terrie Douglas: "The Trust Pathway, Creating A Deep Bond"

“I've had and been around horses most of my life. I've ridden pleasure, barrels, jumped and now dressage, classical study for about 20 years. I teach classical dressage or just the basics the foundation of correct and safe riding. But I also teach and use a different way of being to create a truly deep bond with my horse(s). Until I stumbled onto this way of being with horses, I believed one might have one "heart horse," that one very special soul to soul connection with a horse once in a lifetime if you were lucky. I thought my gelding was that horse when I first got him. He was of course, but it became so much more. I have created the same with every horse I have had since discovering this methodology. I have watched others create the same thing with their horse(s) using The Trust Pathway. Everyone wants a 'heart horse', it's what we all dream about. With The Trust Pathway you can create this with your horse, you can have your heart horse and can have it with all your horses if you choose to.

The Trust Pathway is a way to create and cement a solid, deep, trusting bond between horse and person. It's a way of "being" with your horse mostly. It's actually fairly easy and only takes a few minutes to "do" each session. It can incorporate use of your body language and energy, yes, but that's the more advanced areas of it, and depends on how far a person may want to take it. At the basic levels it's just horse and person interacting in certain ways to create a depth of bond that is mostly indescribable. Basically I teach people how to not act human and how to ask not demand. It really is very simple on broad terms. I am convinced anyone can learn to do it and all will benefit from it, if they want to have a good relationship with their horse. 

It's really a very long story. I will start with my gelding and how he changed. He is why I learned how to do this "thing" I now call 'The Trust Pathway'.

He was my lesson horse. My first ride on him was horrible and I hated it and him. He was so stubborn, I had to get so forceful it made me cry. Somehow though, he decided that I was his after that first ride. My subsequent lessons were better and better and I was able to be soft and inviting instead of forceful. I heard rumors that he was bucking people off, then I heard he'd bucked instructors off as well. He was still quite good with me. Eventually this horse would only allow me on him, so I bought him. Shortly after that i discovered his dangerous side. The I was told, "oh yeah he charges people". yes indeed, in fact he charged a friend of mine one day and he meant to kill her, I could see it in his eyes. Luckily he missed crushing her skull with his front hooves by scant inches and she was able to get out of his path. He'd come at me a few times but would stop a bit away and stand there snaking his neck and gnashing his teeth at me. Clear warning and no I never pushed anything at that point! Safety first.

A few years later, while stubbornly refusing to have him destroyed all this while, I searched for something that would help him and help me be safe with him. He clearly liked me as he allowed me to care for him, mostly, when he wouldn't let another human near him. But I wondered if one day that wouldn't make a difference to him...

I found something i knew in my heart would help us. Had to beg to get the information, but finally got it. I won't mention the actual 'thing', because it's proprietary. However, through another instructor that modified that information I became certified and allowed, encouraged, to share and teach others her method. This is my 'Trust Pathway' today.

By using The Trust Pathway method my gelding changed, literally overnight. Not kidding. One morning I had my usual super aggressive, always challenging me boy, the next morning I had an inquisitive, cooperative, WILLING boy! I was in shock. Must be an odd day. Nope, the following days proved he had truly changed. I built on that initial day.

He became a horse that not only trusted me but any and all humans. Anyone could ask him to do something and he would do it, happily and without fuss! He was living in a huge pasture with a small herd of mares, foals and other geldings. before that amazing day, he would charge at any other human going into the pasture, including those trying to throw hay. (sigh) As most people never went in it wasn't an issue really, except for one woman, My boy and hers had become best buddies, unfortunately my boy wouldn't allow her near her horse! That is, until that amazing day when somehow something had switched in his brain. he would walk off and watch her closely, but he stopped charging her to chase her away from her horse.

I travelled a lot with my job for a while and was scheduled to be away when my farrier was to trim my boy. I asked my (at the time) husband if he would please get my boy from the pasture for the farrier. Now, my farrier would have been able to stand at the gate and call my boy and I am sure he'd come running to him, he adored the man. But I just wanted to make things easy for him. My husband was not a horse person and in fact had only seen my boy once before. I gave him a description of my boy and definite markings so he would know him from the other horses without any issue. Instructed him on how to use a halter and everything.

On the day, my husband went into the pasture, calling my boy. He said four horses turned and looked at him and then one started walking to him. He saw the correct markings, and decided that must be the right horse. My boy walked right up to him. After a few strokes and pats, my husband said he raised his hand with the halter and the horse turned and started walking away. ;) So he said to my boy, "ok, no halter, will you just come with me if I put this rope over your neck?" My boy walked right back and allowed him to put the lead rope around his neck enough he could hold both pieces in his hand and then they walked through and out of the pasture. My farrier watched all this and commented on how the horse trusted him enough, they must have had a lot of time together. My husband admitted it was really the first time he'd gotten close to the horse, had only seen him form a distance before. :)

As time went on our bond got stronger and stronger. He was a gem, everyone loved him, thought he was the sweetest, best mannered horse they'd ever met. I have many, many stories of course. This is just one small example of what's possible to create with most any horse. And yes, I believe that The Trust Pathway will work with most any horse. 

My current mare is the first horse I have had with me that didn't pick me to begin with. She was picked for me. My first real test of how well The Trust Pathway works was with her. Where with my boy, who I'd had a relationship with before beginning this journey, it was a magical overnight kind of thing, with her it took almost 6 months to create the depth of bond and trust I was looking for.

A bit about her. She had been a broodmare for many years and not really ridden. I brought her home and of course she could have cared less about me. New place, new horses, new people. Poor girl, I felt sorry for her and did my best to just make her as comfortable as possible. I began instantly to use my Trust Pathway methodology with her. The first few weeks I would take her out to go for a bit of a walk, me on the ground of course. She would spook at just about everything. Her spook reaction was to bolt off! but she was a sensible girl, and luckily she'd bolt but just to the end of the lead and then would slow and trot really really fast around me, never tugging on the line. (whew!) Huge horse, very powerful, not than any human can ever prevent any horse from doing what they want... if she wanted to take off she'd have been gone. But this bolting off reaction wouldn't be a pleasant thing to have when we got going under saddle.

I just continued to do The Trust Pathway with her. After about a month or so while walking her one day something startled her and instead of her usual bolt off, she hesitated and asked me what to do! Yay! break through! As I calmly and quietly reassured her, she visibly relaxed and blew out calmly, all was well as we walked along. I hadn't expected that quick a turn around, really, but was very pleased and semi-excited about it! :)

As time progressed so did she. She blossomed into a very expressive girl, in a good way. She learned that she was allowed to be herself at all times and that she had a say in everything and anything we did together. Most of her spooking reactions stopped after a few months. Things coming up form behind were still a bit of an issue, so we worked on that a little.

I had a photographer come and do a shoot, she commented how "fiercely protective" my girl is toward me. The photographer felt very intimidated by her presence, actually, at first. Soon she discovered that my girl is a sweet, affectionate girl.

Where my other horses have been kind, well mannered and trusting of other people after being 'Trust Pathway'd', this girl not so much. She is very 'aloof' with strange people at first. Maybe it's just her royal lineage, haha. She is still sweet and tolerant, just not openly herself around strangers.

I have placed this mare in some impossible situations and she has risen to each occasion with grace. I could not be more proud of her. One such situation; I have a friend that is a falconer among other things. She wanted photos for her new business and asked if she could use my girl. So here is my girl with a strange person and some very scary large birds who would flap those huge wings! eeeks. With calm invitation and assurance that she was safe, she graciously accepted being really close to the birds. My friend's photographer got some amazing photos. 

Having a solid trusting relationship is primary for my safety with my horse. Yes skill and confidence plays into it as well, but the horse wanting to cooperate, wanting to be with me, wanting to protect me is by far the largest piece for my safety when with them. I believe this is true for everyone. We are with these amazing creatures that far outweigh us and have a mind of their own, after all.”

If you want to contact Terrie and to learn more about the "Trust Pathway," you can visit the Facebook page and group dedicated to it: 

Page: https://www.facebook.com/thetrustpathway
Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/358703987995650/