I know how it feels when my horse Joey, a 20-years-young warmblood gelding, gives me what I need: He is quiet in the crossties and accepts the bit without complaint. He remains steady and still at the mounting block and waits until I’ve picked up my stirrups. He relaxes into contact and responds to my aids. He approaches a jump with a steady pace and pricked ears.
These and other behaviors—many overt and some more subtle —let me know I’ve connected with Joey and successfully conveyed what I need from him. But what does my horse need from me?
In a recent NF+ Masterclass with renowned trainer Josh Nichol, I learned some ways to form a stronger, more intuitive bond with Joey by meeting his needs and forming a richer relationship based on his core desires. By meeting those needs and desires, Josh emphasizes, we avoid the behaviors we don’t need or want, like pawing in the crossties or avoiding the bit, being tense under saddle, spooking in the arena, or refusing at a jump.
In this course, Josh introduces the idea of three essential horse needs, guides us in how to recognize which need(s) are most important to our own horse, and offers practical techniques of how to meet those needs whatever the training situation. Short videos illustrating the exercises he uses are included. Here are my takeaways from this important Masterclass:
1. Mind, Space, and Pressure are the three primary needs that horses have. “Every horse has all of them,” Josh emphasizes, “but they come in different intensities.” Understanding which needs your horse has, and which are most intense, can transform your connection with your horse that will make your training sessions infinitely easier.
2. The Mind Horse is scanning the world all the time, Josh explains. “They are the one who’s out in the pasture, and when something changes, they’re seeing it and looking at it,” he points out. “They are very curious and busy-minded. They want to be involved and they often become very engaged in training. They are also the horses that could very well become herd-bound; they struggle when they don’t know where their friends are.” The challenge with the Mind Horse is that their mind will divide from its body, Josh explains. “You have to understand how to connect with their mind to bring peace to that need.”
Training Techniques: Make sure that when you apply an aid, their mind engages and connects with that request before they act. “Feel and see the mind shift,” Josh emphasizes, by paying close attention to the movement of their ears and eyes.
3. The Space Horse wants to be close to you all the time, Josh shares, and while they usually are not fazed by their environment, they can also be a horse that struggles to go forward. “They love trail riding, and getting out and doing things, but they hate going in circles,” Josh explains. The Space Horse needs constant reassurance that we are close to them, so we “to show up in a way they can feel so they don’t have to reach for us.” The challenge, he says, is to balance repetitive arena work with getting out and having adventures.
Training Techniques: A Space Horse may seem to be disobedient when they get too close to you or rub on you, but they are simply vocalizing that they cannot connect with you. Show up energized, so your horse can feel it, which will make them feel comfortable to respond to you in a “receiving state,” rather than seeking that connection by getting in your space.
4. The Pressure Horse is very sensitive and responsive to the world around them from the perspective of self-preservation, Josh explains. Unlike a Mind Horse, who is curious about things and wants to see everything, the Pressure Horse is worried about the things they see. The interesting thing about Pressure Horses, Josh shares, is that although they can be spooky, they are also extremely sensitive to the aids. “The challenge in our training is that the responses can happen in anxiety . . . the goal is to meet that need and [for the horse to] think through pressure rather than react to it.”
Training Techniques: The Pressure Horse needs to feel in control of the pressure by submitting to us, not running away. It’s very important, John asserts, to release just as they connect and soften or and move toward you; they need to feel relief by staying, not leaving.
Figuring out and prioritizing what your horse’s needs are “brings an intense level of peace to your horse,” Josh says. When our horses know we connect with their needs, they feel safe to work. Knowing which need is most dominant for your horse can help you understand why they might be struggling, whether on the ground, in the arena, or on the trail. From that foundation of connection and understanding your horse’s needs, Josh emphasizes, you can improve the outcomes of your training. If our questions in training do not connect the mind and the body of our horse, our release points must shift so that the mind connection occurs before the action of their body. The mind and the body must be aligned; “speak to the mind [of the horse] and set a stage where the mind feels safe, and the body starts to follow. This is truly where training begins,” Josh says.
Watching Josh Nichol’s course has made me keenly aware that my Joey is a Mind Horse. He is the first to notice a change in his environment—whether it’s a cat in the barn aisle, a car pulling up outside the arena, or a tree limb down in the pasture. By seeing his behavior through this lens and aiming to keep his mind and body connected, I am confident I will have more success when interacting with him on the ground and from the saddle.
Visit the NF+ MasterClass course collection to view all nine videos of “Understanding Your Horse’s Needs” with Josh Nichol.
About the Author
Helen Townes is a writer and editor based in Portland, OR, and holds a master’s degree in journalism. She rides her Hanoverian Joey at Silver Winds Farms, a hunter-jumper barn in Banks, OR, and enjoys spending time with her family, watching soccer, and reading.
