Course 101 — Ethology & Safety

The second course of the Level 1 Foundational Horsemanship Certification. Course 101 is about the horse's mind and your safety, in that order and inseparably. You will learn how a prey animal sees the world, how to read ears, eyes, mouth, tail, and above all the feet, and why the horse is a mirror of the person handling it.

Then the skills: the catch as a conversation the horse chooses to join, leading with feel, tying with knots that always release under load, bridling without a fight, and the beginnings of round pen work, where a horse hooks on and chooses you. Every lesson is built on the barn safety rules at Ocean View Stables, and the certification at the end tests the judgment that keeps you and the horse safe.

Soft is strong. Clarity is kindness.